


Altar Diplomacy

by Turtlez



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Blood, Human Bill Cipher, Kissing, M/M, Magic, Near Death Experiences, Threats, Violence, Voyeurism, War, Weapons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-26 03:22:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 42,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6221638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turtlez/pseuds/Turtlez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the midst of the war, there is only one hope for peace- a marriage contract between the two feuding kingdoms. Dipper Pines, the prince of Gravity Falls, has no other choice but to marry the conqueror of the newly founded kingdom. Although it does not go as planned, because he might not completely hate the idea of marrying Bill Cipher.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> Does this count as a different writing style?  
> There will be more tags, and the rating will change, as this story continues.  
> Enjoy!

No matter the time of day, there is nothing better than the serenity and tranquility that encompasses the forest of Gravity Falls. Dipper cannot even think of anything that could possibly compete with being in the middle of the forest with a book in his hand. The forest is the one place that he can be completely lost to the outside world, his own responsibilities, and the pressure of being a prince. It has always been the only place that he can fully emerge himself in his studies- and be himself- without any interruptions or disapproving glances.

Dipper sits on the trunk of a fallen tree, taking a small break from his reading to take in the sight around him. At the moment, everything seems absolutely perfect. The sun shines brightly on him, despite the many looming trees, providing the perfect amount of light to read and keep him warm. He feels a slight breeze ruffle his hair and cannot stop the smile spreading on his face.

After basking in the setting for a few more seconds, Dipper flips through another page of his book. A book filled with wonders that no one else in the entire kingdom seems to understand- or even try to comprehend. It contains information about an almost forgotten practice- warnings, instructions, and illustrations filling each and every aged page. The books in his possession provide him with so many answers, yet leave him with twice as many questions. Instead of discouraging him, it only serves to spark his curiosity into a raging flame that engulfs him to the very core. Dipper wants to know why, where, how- just everything about the subject .

As his eyes skim across the page, Dipper cannot help himself from touching the burnt edges of the book, probably pulled from one of the many book burnings transpiring throughout the kingdom. A painful pang shoots through his chest at the thought, that he might have lost all of this knowledge due to the fear that many individuals have for the unknown- and that he has already lost so many books because of it. It is a real pity that others cannot seem to understand all that books- that magic- have to offer. They simply believe all that has been told to them without question. Dipper has paid handsomely for his collection, having sent word throughout the kingdom for any book regarding magic to save them from the people’s ignorance- and they are worth every piece of gold.

Dipper takes his time reading each line, trying to make sense of the foreign language that has become quite the cipher. If it were anybody else, then it would be an impossible task- but it’s him. He has a lot of experience with translating dead and foreign languages; therefore, he is able to uncover the secrets hidden inside the hundreds of pages, albeit with a slight pause between each line. Whenever he reaches a phrase that confuses him beyond belief, when even translated the words do not seem to bring forth any meaning, he unrolls a sheet of paper and writes it down for further investigation.

He does not know why he tries so hard to learn about the subject. There is no one around willing to help him, or knowledgeable enough about the subject to even contribute to his pursuit of knowledge. Throughout the kingdoms, magic is something that has long been looked down upon, something that has been taught to be evil, that is hated. No one will ever talk about it longer than a few seconds, or louder than a whisper. It is a matter that everyone tiptoes around, especially with the occurrences of the past and the decrees made due to them. If anyone ever found out that he is not just investigating the subject but actually practicing it, then nothing would be able to save him- not even his status of royalty.

In the entire world, there are only a handful of mages, individuals who are born with the capability to perform magic- and a physical abnormality. Some perfect examples, he thinks, would be his great-uncle’s six-fingered hand, or the constellation birthmark on his own forehead. Fortunately for him, Dipper is able to hide his abnormality behind his bangs and family’s influence; while his great-uncle is practically used as a disposable weapon. It has always been the same. Mages have always been sought after by those with the thirst for power and feared by those that cannot understand the wonders they can perform; often times they have been hunted down like wild animals, exploited for their gifts, and isolated due to people’s fear of them. In recent events, mages are either banished or enslaved, depending on the kingdom.

Dipper closes his book with a tired sigh, the thoughts depressing him. He slowly comes to the realization that he needs to start making his way back to the palace. He does not want his family to start getting suspicious and begin questioning him about his constant disappearances. It would lead to them assigning guards to him- again. It had been such a pain, in the past, to constantly give the guards the slip, but even harder to convince his family to allow him to go off on his own. It would, presently, be more of a challenge to get away from Soos and Wendy, if the pair are given orders to keep him contained. The kingdom has been training all of the guards vigorously due to the possible threat of an invasion. He already knows the moment he arrives, he will have to endure another two-hour long meeting about the newly founded kingdom, which has started a war campaign to conquer the surrounding lands with mounting success.

He stands up briskly from his seat, not wanting to think about the stressing subject any more than usual. He pulls the hood of his blue cloak over his head and starts his trek through the peaceful woods. His mind clears as he looks up at the birds jumping from branch to branch, filling the atmosphere with songs of their joy. He travels through the woods without a care in the world, not worrying about getting lost, since he practically has all of the forest memorized. After a couple of minutes, he makes it to a familiar cave, one that he already knows is uninhabited by any of the creatures of the area. For the most part, the cave is too shallow to be considered a shelter- or an actual cave, but it serves its purpose for Dipper. It is right in the center of the forest, the epicenter of the magic that runs through the area- which serves to amplify and control his powers.

Dipper takes a deep breath, placing his hand against the middle of the rock, which is mostly free of moss. He mutters a spell, one that he has said multiple times, but he cannot help the little lightheadedness that sneaks up on him as he directs most of his magic towards his hand. The magic pulsates through the air, blasting everything in the forest back with its power. The might of the magic forces the trees and shrubbery to sway to the side, bringing silence to all the animals in close proximity. Even those without a single drop of magical inclination in their blood would be able to feel the great pulse of magic, but no one else from the kingdom ever ventures into the woods, so he knows that he is safe. Everyone is too afraid of the magical creatures that roam the area and stay clear of the forest, consequently steering away from his magic as well.

As he drops his hand, the shining rock begins to crumble within itself forming the shape of a tree in the center- a void large enough for him to place his books and writing utensils within. The spell is one of advanced skill, which has taken him several months to perfect, allowing him to store an endless supply of objects; if they are small enough to fit within the confines of the small void, which he creates with his magic- and the forest’s magic. So far, he has a large collection of books that he has paid handsomely for by receiving them from the underground market inside of the void. It is a wonder that his savings have been enough to pay for all of it, but it is worth it to keep the rapidly destroyed knowledge safe.

Once he is done storing everything he cannot take back to the palace, Dipper backs away from the rock and watches as it begins to refill the tree symbol. It is then, when he has no more evidence of what he has been doing in the forest, that he turns right around to start his walk home. He makes it a couple of feet away when a rustling in the bushes behind him makes him stop dead in his tracks. He whirls around, standing still to examine every aspect of the scenery behind him, but there is nothing- not a movement or a sound. He purses his lips together before he dismisses it as his own paranoia and goes on his way. He convinces himself that is probably a small animal anyways, not someone that has felt the sudden surge of power and come to examine it.

Dipper walks with grace as he travels through the forest, mindful of the beautiful flora that decorates the entire floor. Although, it is every so often that he hears a snap of a twig or something that sounds like steps, but he cannot really tell since whatever the creature matches his step. Dipper knows that it is probably nothing, but he cannot stop himself from turning around every time he hears the _almost_ nonexistent noise. It is when he catches the shift of a shadow when he turns around briskly that he knows for sure that he is being followed. Instead of scaring him, the thought excites him. It could be one of the many magical creatures that roam the area following him out of curiosity like thousands of times beforehand. It would not be the first time that he has met one and in a similar way. Dipper knows for a fact that whatever it is it will not show itself on its own accord if it has not done so already.

Deciding that he can postpone his return, Dipper switches tracks in his mind to take the really scenic route and find out what exactly is following him- or else it would bother him all day long. He turns back around, hopefully not alarming the other that he knows of its presence and starts to step in a slow matter just to tease. It takes a bit longer to get where he is going, but now that he knows for sure that something is there. He weaves in and out of the trees, humming to himself as he does so, along with abruptly stopping to bother whatever it is behind him. The longer the game goes on, the more Dipper can tell what the creature is not- it does not have hooves or walk on four legs, so it eliminates a lot of things. His best guess would be gnomes- plural- probably stacked up against each other to feel taller.

He cannot help the smile that stretches across his face from the mental image of stacked up gnomes, as he reaches a small creek in front of him. It is a small body of water, seemingly emerging from behind a huge boulder in the open and clear meadow. A thought of how to sneak up on his stalkers quickly formulates in his head, at the sight of the open space. It might be a risk, but Dipper is willing to try it. They seem to be persistent enough, so he doubts they will give up on the chase just like that. Without another thought, he hops onto one of the rocks in the middle of the water, before he steps onto another one to keep dry. For a moment, he hears and sees nothing on the threshold of the forest, but he keeps his focus on not slipping. It is when he is halfway through the creek, making his way behind the cover of the huge boulder, in the middle of the body of water, that he barely hears steps over the sound of flowing water.

Dipper presses himself against the boulder, hiding from view, and waiting for the creatures to reach his hiding spot. He cannot decide whether to give the creature a lecture on stalking, or just jump out and scare them. Either way, it would teach them a lesson, but it’d be a bonus to see them soaking wet. The many creatures of the forest and he have talked about it before, but it does not seem to be getting through to them- maybe this would change that since there is nothing better than a hands-on lesson. He stays silent pondering, waiting for the others to emerge from the other side of the boulder.

After a couple of moments of waiting, it does- and he shoves them to the side. With a surprised noise, the creatures lose their balance, instantly flailing to find some sort of purchase to save them from falling into the water. The creature manages to find that purchase on his arms, dragging him down with them. It is all a blur, as he splashes into the water. Once Dipper recovers from the fall, he finds himself on his hands and knees, bracketing the beings beneath him. He laughs full heartedly, despite knowing that water is seeping through his cape and drenching his drapery. The mere fact that the beings underneath him are worse off than him making it all worth it. “Maybe, now, you’ve learned your lesson about stalking me.” Dipper tries in a serious voice, but he laughs through it; he cannot even open his eyes from the force of his own joy. It has not turned out the way he supposed, but it is still funny despite getting caught in the crossfire. It takes a few more seconds until he can finally catch his breath, looking down at the gnomes- only that they are not gnomes.

From his crouched position, Dipper watches as a man- a handsome man with golden hair and sun-kissed skin- lays prone beneath him.

“Yeah. I guess I have, kid.” The man says with a tone that Dipper cannot seem to decipher. He cannot even seem to move, as time seems to stop when the man's single cerulean eye locks onto his chocolate colored ones. Instead of matching his surprise, the man smiles widely at him like he has just been caught red-handed- which he has. Although for some reason or the other, the toothy grin makes his heart flutter with an unfamiliar emotion and Dipper cannot even form a coherent thought, as the man begins to speak again. "Well. This is a real surprise. You’re not exactly what I was expecting.”

Dipper blinks once, opening his mouth to retort, to inform the man that he stole is his line, but he shuts it just as fast. The man has been following him since he opened up the small portal since he performed magic- which is practically a death sentence. All other thoughts lost to the wind, he scrambles to his feet and away from the stranger without a single word, completely missing the perplexed look on the man's face. He needs to get away as fast as he can, stomping through the water. Thoughts instantly rush through his head, slamming against his mind like a series of waves. He is going to be in so much trouble if the stranger recognizes him; he is practically a dead man walking if the man even felt a glimmer of the magic from earlier.

He does not know how he could have been so stupid, how he could have just jumped to conclusions. He should have been more careful- should not have assumed it had been a group of gnomes. He can feel his stomach twist with the sickening fear, his mouth becoming dry and hands beginning to sweat wildly. He could have done so much more to keep his secret safe. Dipper stumbles, as he hears the man call out to him, tripping over his own feet in his distress. A hand grabs hold of his elbow, saving him from his fate of landing face first in the mud. "Whoa. Watch your step, kid." The man says, steadying him. "Are you alright?"

Dipper nods slowly, not trusting his own voice. He does not even dare to turn around and face the man in the worn down yellow robe. He cannot think of any possibility that does not end up with him dead- because there is no way he can survive being used by the kingdom for his power. He is not strong enough for it. The man is completely blind to his growing panic as he continues to hold onto him. The blond’s voice eventually manages to grasp his attention. "Didn't think you noticed me back there. You're sharper than a dragon’s tooth and probably as strong as one too, kid." The man laughs, seemingly trying to get rid of the heavy atmosphere. "But trust me, it wasn’t my intention to startle you."

"Well, you did a fantastic job at it regardless." Dipper hisses, tugging his arm out of the man's grasp, mentally estimating how much money he will need to set aside- for the rest of his life- to keep the man quiet. He is going to need to tell his family- regardless of his fears that he is going to be lectured, that he is going to be yelled at, that he will never see anything other than the palace wall- or else he is going to wind up dead. He takes a deep breath, steeling himself to ask for the price of his silence before the man's laughter meets his ears again.

"You’re a real spitfire, kid." The man says, his voice laced with mirth. " _I like that_."

Despite himself, Dipper feels irritation hit him full force at the man’s teasing. He cannot find it within himself to care about the other man’ interest- even if it seems like he is one. Flattery will get him nowhere- Dipper cannot allow him to have another advantage over him- since he already has blackmail. That is, of course, what he tries to convince himself of, as he feels heat flood to his cheeks. All he can do is bite his bottom lip preventing himself from saying something that he might regret in the long run.

The tension between them stretches, as the man waits for some sort of reaction to his comment, but he receives nothing- well nothing that he can see. The blush eluding him, as Dipper keeps his head down. Another beat of silence and the man speaks. "Look, kid.” He says clapping his hands together. “I'll get out of your hair soon, but I sort of need your help with a little something. It’s the least you could do for soaking me to the bone.” He finishes with a wave of his hand.

Dipper deflation at that; money he can provide without a care but favors are always bad: inconsistent, and never ending. He takes a deep breath and gathers enough courage to glare at the man, who will probably blackmail him for the rest of his life. Although Dipper is caught off guard as he gets a closer look at all the golden details embroidered into the man's black eye-patch. The image of a triangle with a small dot in the middle, almost like an eye itself. Dipper feels like he has seen the symbol somewhere, but it is all lost to him as he looks into the other’s eye. When he finally breaks away from the gaze, he reluctantly asks- growls. "What is it?"

"You see, I'm new around here." The man continues without missing a beat, unperturbed by Dipper’s hostility, practically striding towards land, arms crossed behind his back. "I got lost in the forest looking for monsters, and I followed you thinking that you were one.” Once on solid ground, the man looks back at him with his single eye and charming smile. “Although, you couldn't be further from a monster- unless you're a temptress."

Dipper almost slips- again- at the last comment, but manages to catch himself. "Aren't you just charming?" He bites out sarcastically more to himself than to the man. Then, it hits him like a ton of bricks, as he stands on the last rock; the man does not recognize him. His eyes widen at the realization that the person in front of him does not know who he is if he is talking to him in such a matter- and if he is new to the kingdom, then maybe he has never seen him before. Dipper feels relief flood his system, as he schools his face into one of apathy, knowing that he is not out of the woods just yet. “So, you’re out here for a monster hunt?” He clarifies shakily, trying to keep any conversation about himself off the table- along with ignoring the man’s flattery. “That seems pretty insane, considering you're out here on your own.”

“Yeah, it does seem that way, doesn’t it?” The man agrees, “but you shouldn’t worry your pretty little head, kiddo, I know exactly how to take care of myself.” He pulls his yellow robe to the side, revealing a sword holstered on his hip. He taps the sheathed sword with every word to make his point.

The answer only serves to put him on edge again. He might not be in danger anymore, but he still needs to get the man to leave at any costs necessary. Now, that he knows the man’s motives: that he is out here for a monster hunt, he needs to stop him. There is only a handful of reasons that anyone ever comes to the forest looking for “monsters”: They want to capture them and put them on display like an attraction, kill them and mount their heads on the walls. No matter what it is- it is never good. He cannot let this man find or see any of the creatures, most of whom he has befriended and promised to keep safe. He ignores the man’s extended hand to help him before he steps forward.

"Well then, I hate to inform you, but you're all out of luck in this little hunt of yours. There aren't any monsters around in these parts.” No more reason to fear, Dipper tilts his head to look up at the man. It feels like a load has been taken off his shoulders since he is no longer afraid that he will become an asset for the kingdom- the man will probably not recognize him if he has not already. “It's best that you just go home, sir."

"I beg to differ." The man argues, interest clearly piqued by the sudden change in Dipper’s attitude, considering that he is no longer keeping his gaze to the ground or muttering. "I've heard quite the tales of monsters, which roam this forest: multi-headed bears, small little men with pointy red hats, things that are half human and half beast. There is a long list. And I just wanted to see if it was true or if the entire kingdom was in cahoots."

"I guess it's the former because there are no monsters here." Dipper shoots back with finality in his voice, leveling with the other’s gaze, as he seems to inspect him for any signs of lying- which he is not, technically . All of the magical creatures in the near vicinity are peaceful and kind- none of them even remotely fitting any description of monsters. After a while, the man breaks the intense staring contest to pout.

"Well, that's sort of disappointing." The man sighs, running a hand through his golden locks. “I was kinda looking forward to seeing one around here.”

“Yes, I can imagine the travesty of not being able to encounter any monstrosities.” Dipper rolls his eyes, jutting his thumb towards the way back to the main gate. "Head that way for like two miles and you'll be out of here in no time, sir. I also recommend that you don't make your way back here again." Dipper adds for a good measure, not wanting to see the man connect the dots to his identity or feel the magic he usually performs in the woods. He just hopes he leaves before he starts questioning him.

The man clicks his tongue, before relenting. He says his thanks and walks toward the direction Dipper is pointing, making it four steps away before he freezes in his spot like he just had an epiphany. "What are you even doing out here, kid?” He asks, looking over his shoulder. “I thought no one from the kingdom _ever_ dares to travel through the forest."

Dipper shrugs. "Your sources were off the first time. Are you seriously surprised it happened a second time."

The man laughs at Dipper's snark, seemingly entertained by the comment instead of getting insulted. "I guess that's true, but you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing out here?"

"I'm just." Dipper flounders a little bit, knowing that anything to throw the man off his trail is a good thing. His eyes wander around the field, catching sight of a flower at the tip of his foot. "I'm just out here collecting some flowers for my arrangements.” He laughs nervously. “What’s better than having all your materials free" He plucks the flower from the ground, waving it around. "Here's one."

"You're a horrible liar." The man deadpans, turning around to face forward. "But don't worry. I don't actually care enough to find out what you're doing."

"Then why did you ask in the first place?" Dipper snaps, the man getting on his last nerve.

"Just being courteous." The man says while walking away and waving goodbye at him. He pauses again and Dipper groans internally, wondering why the man won't just leave. "You know, I just can’t take that as an answer.” The man admits, spinning around. He shakes his head in disbelief and puts a finger in the air, wiggling it like a lecturing mother. “Trust me when I say there were a lot of people that said they saw them. Are you sure there aren't any creatures that fit any of my earlier descriptions?"

At the question, Dipper freezes for an instant- but it is enough. Before Dipper can articulate his lie, the man catches the way that his eyes dart elsewhere at the question, unable to keep eye contact. The slight movement makes the man narrow his eyes and he approaches him again. "Hey. What's the deal? Are there any monsters here or not?"

"What makes you think they're monsters?" Dipper replies defensively, crossing his arms over his chest. He mentally kicks himself for indirectly hinting that there are creatures like that in the forest.

"Well, it's all I could gather from the rumors and stories people have told me." The man informs, approaching him until he is standing right in front of him, cornering him against a tree.

"Do you believe everything that people tell you?" Dipper taunts, pressing himself against the tree and feeling the moss at his back.

"No. But I do think, it's worth a look-see if there are so many people that have different accounts of those monsters." The man puts his hand next to his head, blocking him. “I don’t have time for this. Have you seen any monsters around or not, kid?"

"From my knowledge, there are no monsters in these woods,” Dipper sighs, “but I guess it all depends on the point of view."

"How does it all depend?" The man asks perplexed.

"Well." Dipper starts off, licking his lips and taking a deep breath. This is already looking like a losing battle, but maybe he can still end it in a stalemate. As his last hail mary to save the creatures, maybe he can convince the man to not hurt them, maybe he can change his mind. The only thing he can do is ask. "What is your definition of a monster?"

"A beast." The man responds, raising an eyebrow.

"That's a synonym." Dipper replies, rolling his eyes. He waits for another moment, waiting for the man's response. The man sighs and rolls his eyes himself, before answering.

"It's something that instills fear." Dipper nods, opening his mouth to say something else before the man beats him to it. "Hold your horses, kid. Now that I’ve answered one of your questions, answer one of mine. Are there are any creatures that match my earlier descriptions?" Dipper hesitates, his mouth opening and closing but not emitting any word,;  the silence just proving the man's question true. The man smiles from ear to ear, but there seems to be something behind that blue eye that shows some contemplation.

“I guess I can set up a couple of traps around the area.” The man muses loudly, turning away from him and forgetting about the previous conversation. “Man, this is going to hurt them more than me. If only there was someone around to help me so I wouldn’t have to resort to bear traps. A real pity.” He continues, his tone is anything but sorrowful.

Before he can turn away, probably to try and hunt down one of those creatures to put on display. Dipper catches their arm just like they had beforehand. He knows he is playing right into his hands, but he can’t just do nothing. He doesn't really know why he does it, but he feels an aching need to do it, asking, "If I show you that they’re not monsters, do you promise not to hurt them?"

“Of course. I just want to see them.” The man looks down at the trembling hand holding him, following the limb back to the owner and up to look at the imploring chocolate colored eyes. "So do we have a deal? You show me where they are and I won’t have to go on a wild goose chase, plus you get to keep your _little buddies_ safe. It’s win-win for both of us if you ask me."

Dipper sighs, feeling apprehensive about showing the man any creatures. Although he has a nagging feeling informing him that the man will not stop until he has what he wants. “Deal.”

He takes the man's hand into his own to lead him through the forest. The man does not complain about it, and Dipper is too sucked into his mind to even process his own actions. He looks down at the floor searching for any marks, tracks, or prints on the floor. There are small things that lead him to his destination like berries scattered on the floor, random branches being broken. The man does not protest being dragged around, keeping up with the brisk pace that Dipper has set. After a while, they reach their intended destination and Dipper pulls the man down to hide behind a bush. He presses a finger to his lips and pushes branches and leaves so they can peek through it.

On the other side of the bush, there is a multi-headed bear taking a drink from the small body of water in front of him. Dipper glances from the corner of his eye to gauge the man's reaction, enjoying the slight shock on his face. His eye is wide and his mouth is parted open as he lets out a soft gasp of surprise. The man seems giddy at the discovery and Dipper can relate to the feeling, he reacted similarly when he first encountered the multi-bear.

"Does that really look like something that instills fear?" Dipper whispers, focusing back on the bear that has accidentally dunked one of its head into the water.

"I mean it could maim us and rip us apart at any moment." A slight pause. "If it doesn't kill itself first. Honestly, it might be more of a menace to itself than to us."

Dipper laughs at that, making the man look back at him. "He wouldn't even harm a fly. Most of them are like that too. They're not monsters. All of the creatures in the forest are just different from us and most people don't know about them, so they fear and call them monsters."

"Kind of like me." The man whispers, his eye looking almost distant as he faces the sight in front of him.

He doesn't catch the insightful look as he nods. "Pretty much. You can't just listen to whatever other people say, you've got to think for yourself." A mischievous smile spreads on his lips. "You want to see something funny?"

"Oh, so you do have a sense of humor." The man smirks. "I would love to see what that looks like, kid."

Without further ado, Dipper starts to sing a catchy tune that he heard once in his walk towards the marketplace. It takes a moment for his voice to travel the distance, but soon enough one of the many heads of the multi-bear perks up. The man watches with intrigue as the multi-bear soon starts to sing along with the lyrics. His body swaying with the melody of the song, and feet tapping to the beat in their head. After a while, Dipper stops singing but the song still reverberates through the forest.

They both stare at the concert  that the multi-bear seems to be putting on for them. The creature completely lost in the song to even notice them. When the multi-bear tries to hit the high note and misses it; then it is too much for them to keep in their laughter. The man is the one that lets out a laugh first, snapping the creature out of its trance. The creature instantly falls back down to its paws, looking around the area. It is their queue to get out of the area- or else the multi-bear will try to rope him into another karaoke session. He grabs the man’s arm and pulls him away, being extra careful to not make any noise.

Once they are finally in the clear, Dipper looks back the man hoping that he has done enough to convince him. He is almost too paralyzed by the fear of it all. The man humming in happiness makes it all disappear. “I guess you’re right, kid. They’re not monsters.”

Dipper smiles. At least there is one person he has finally convinced- and the small accomplishment is good enough for him. As he looks up at the man, he notices the redness of the sky behind him. The dots connecting inside of his head, he realizes that the sun is setting. “Uhm. I sort of need to get going.” He confesses, wishing that he had more time to make sure that the man keeps his word to not hurt the creatures. He cannot exactly trust someone that he has just met in the middle of the forest, but his next words put him at ease.

“Good idea. I’m going to be heading out myself.” The man turns around from him, starting to walk away from him and waving his hand. “This was really fun. I’ll see you around, kid.” Dipper wants to call out to him, to tell him that he’s headed the wrong way, but he does not- simply waiting for the man to come to the conclusion on his own. Instead, the man stops next to a tree around them, smiling at him. “It’s not every day that you meet a fellow mage, Pine Tree.” As the last word leaves his lips, the man slips behind the tree.

Dipper’s eyes widen his heart hammering in his chest. He rushes to the spot the man stood, after waiting for him to emerge on the other side proves to be unfruitful. The only thing is that he does not see him the only thing he can find there is an envelope attached to the tree. He pulls it off with shaking hands, looking at all his surroundings an unknowing smile growing on his face at having witnessed such an act- teleportation is one of the hardest of spells and by far one only performed by the best. He looks down at the envelope in his hand, examining it. It is a simple and normal piece of paper but instead of a name there is a depiction of a triangle with a dot in the middle- just like the man’s eyepatch.

To think that he has spent the majority of the day with a mage of such caliber.


	2. Peaceful

The entire two weeks after the dreamlike encounter in the woods, thoughts of the man have completely occupied Dipper’s mind. No matter the hour, Dipper has only been able to think about the handsome mage, who practically personifies the sun. Every time he sits in the middle of a meeting, a lesson, or a simple conversation, he just cannot concentrate. Instead, his mind wanders to the mysterious stranger, wondering if he will ever have the opportunity to see him in person again- or if they will only be able to communicate through letters. And the fact that he cannot tell anyone about this, due to fear that he might get the mage or himself into a bountiful amount trouble, is slowly eating away at him.

At the moment, sitting on the edge of an extravagant fountain, Dipper reads the most recent letter from the man- who still refuses to give his name. On one side of the page, it is filled with answers to questions that have been haunting him for years. It is arranged like a dictionary, scholarly in nature, except that the definitions are posed as riddles. The riddles may be capable of stumping a lot of people, but Dipper has managed to solve them all with some time and effort. The accomplishment makes him swell with pride. Despite the small challenge he is faced with to obtain the information, Dipper cannot stop himself from feeling giddy. The entire situation seems like a dream come true. For so long, he has thought that keeping track of all those confusing phrases were for naught, but he finally has someone to teach them all to him.

In exchange, all he has to do is reply to some nonsensical question about his personal life -without divulging his own name or position- along with ignoring the man’s constant advances. The whole arrangement is a fair trade of sorts since he has finally proven to the mage that he is capable of contributing his own information about magic. Dipper nearly bounces in his seat, knowing that he has found the older mage’s flaw. It seems that while the man is very knowledgeable about the ancient world of magic; the blond is still not completely informed about the newer forms of it or aspects of magical creatures. The only reason Dipper knows a lot about the “newer” form of magic is from reading his great-uncle Ford’s research and conducting his own investigations- which he happens to be cross referencing at the moment.

Alone in the middle of the palace garden, Dipper goes over his notes- all of them splayed out to his side and enchanted to be waterproof. He skims through the pages with one hand, while he holds the blond’s letter in the other. From all the information that he has gathered, he has been able to analyze the similarities and differences between the two forms of magic. While the ancient magic spells require more magic from the individual; the newer form draws it both from the environment and individual. There are also other differences between the two types of magic, such as their strengths and weaknesses. In the old ways, there are many spells that bring forth chaos through calamities, but it lacks any of the healing or power projection spells. To put it simply: the ancient world of magic deals with death and destruction, while the new version focuses on life and creation.

However, in regards to magic, Dipper is quickly learning that it is not all black and white. With every passing letter, he discovers that there are a bunch of similarities between the two forms. Both types of magic requiring some sort of ritual, incantation, or gesture to initiate a spell. And every spell, no matter how small, having an effect on the user. The most common side effects for small spells being dizziness or lightheadedness; the most complicated spells resulting in lasting changes to the body or mind. Most mages have their specialty in the certain spells, but there are some that have an aptitude for them all. There are even some mages that possess magical powers that completely stray away from the norm, but they are so far in between that they are more of a legend.

Dipper smiles to himself, kicking off his sandals and spinning around in his seat to dip his feet into the refreshingly cool water of the fountain. He reads the letter in his hand, using a spell to write down the translated phrase into his notebook- the quill floating on its own and almost flying off the page from his excitement. Dipper finds it a little bit funny that his own apprehensiveness could have completely prevented him from obtaining this onslaught of information. He remembers the events from two weeks ago like it had all happened yesterday; the rush of excitement that had accompanied him, after his return from the forest. His mind racing to come up with reasons to not open the letter; while at the same time, trying to justify taking a peek inside the envelope. The internal battle between his rational side and his curiosity nearly tearing him apart.

The mystery had made him restless for an entire day before he finally made the executive decision to throw all caution to the wind and rip it open. Disappointment would have been an understatement to what he felt when a blank sheet of paper greeted him that night. He remembers frantically flipping the page over and over again and putting it under candlelight; looking for something- just anything. He would have crumbled up and burned the paper in his frustration if some letters had not magically begun to appear. Dipper did not discover, not until much later, that his magic had acted up with his emotions and activated the enchantment. Although, at that moment, his confusion only grew when the letters forming did not string together to form any fathomable word in any possible language, giving him a new mystery to solve.    

Now, Dipper reads over the jumbled letter on the page with relative ease. Every so often, needing to levitate a notebook toward him to see the key that translates the cryptogram. It is like a new foreign language known only between the two of them- always changing and inconsistent, but fun and entertaining to do. Not entirely impossible either, because there is always a key or a clue hidden somewhere in the previous letter. Dipper has also had his own share of fun, coming up with different ciphers for the man to solve as well. That night in his room, the hardest thing to do had not been deciphering, but trying to find out how to cast the spell to send his own letter in return. At least after his thirty-third attempt, in almost burning down his desk, accidentally summoning a rat, giving the rodent the ability to breathe fire, and turning off gravity in his room- he finally did the spell.  

It is sort of ironic. From many trials and errors, Dipper has been able to improve on his magic- much faster than ever before with the aid of the mage. His improvement with magic leading to a handful of changes; one of those changes being his relationship with the mysterious mage. After Dipper’s corrections on an incantation, his discovery of a missing ingredient in a potion- and doing other things that the mage could not do- the man’s demeanor has drastically changed. Since then, the blond has been simultaneously insulting and complimenting his aptitude- which has sparked the argumentative side in him. All in all, the change has resulted in a lot more arguing, insults, and name-calling between them. It has become a battle of wits- and admittedly, Dipper is enjoying it a lot more than he should.

Dipper’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, as he tries to identify an odd word that the man uses to refer to a spell- which ends up being a real, pointless jumble of letters because ‘he probably looks cute when he’s trying to rise above his meek mental abilities.” He shakes his head and jots down a reminder to return the annoying favor. The other side of the page is always the part that the man loses his scholarly attitude. It is mostly the conversation portion of their letters- and the place where most of their arguments have been happening. Dipper is not sure what is wrong with him, but he translates it with such vigor- dying to know if the man has accidentally revealed something about himself. So far, he knows: how he looks, which leads him to assume that he is from a kingdom from the south, the way he speaks shows that he is a leader- probably not a diplomat- by his demanding and entitled tone, but clearly someone of importance. Although, there are still some things he cannot piece together- and he will not rest until he discovers it.

To anyone else, he may seem like a madman, trying to make sense of nonsense; but luckily for him, there is no one around. All of the workers have already finished tending the hedges, raking the leaves, and clipping the trees. Somehow all the attempts to tame nature in such a way pales its beauty for him. The landscaped forest just being another way for the kingdom to exert their control over everything- even upon nature- enforcing the idea that everything is there for them to exploit and should bend to their liking. Sitting in the garden amidst all of those frustrating reminders, making him scrunch up his nose in disgust.

Dipper looks towards the distance where he can still make out the large, white walls that confine him. He wishes he could go to the forest, but he has been forbidden to leave. The threat of a siege hanging over the kingdom’s head being too serious of a threat to allow him to venture alone into the woods. The only comfort Dipper finds in the situation is that he has made sure the magical creatures are far from harm's way, during his last visit. Making sure that the man has upheld his side of the deal- and advising the creatures to be wary of the newcomer. Despite having talked to the man for the past two weeks, he still cannot bring himself to fully trust him. Dipper has also taken every precaution to inform the creatures about the possible invasion- since he wouldn’t want them getting caught in the crossfire.  

To be completely honest with himself, the long written conversations are the only things keeping him grounded. All of the stressing news, making him anxious about absolutely everything. The negotiations with the newly founded empire seemingly going nowhere, and the possibility of a battle very high. Everyone has been deathly serious and on their toes, going over and over the evacuation process and fighting strategies. Dipper is completely terrified because even though he will be safe within the castle walls, his friends will not be- they will be the ones in the front line ready to die. And there seems to be no way to stop that day from coming, which could happen really soon considering their enemy is already within their borders.

Dipper shakes his head and kicks his feet, splashing the water. He really does not want to think about the subject anymore. This is probably the last opportunity he will get to go outside peacefully, and he is going to take full advantage of it. There is nothing he can do otherwise and he has great faith that they will win. His great-uncles, Stan and Ford, will be on the battlefield together- and so far, they have been unbeatable. They have both told Mabel and him so many stories about their battles. There are even songs about them, tapestries illustrating their victories hanging on the wall. There is no way that they will lose. His only concern is that the enemy is not like any they have faced before. There are even rumors that the leader of the hoard is a real life demon.

He momentarily forgets the promise he has made to himself to not overthink anything for a while, wondering what they are like. If they are really demons- unmerciful, deranged, and horrific creatures. If they are well-versed in the old forms of magic. If the reason they are able to outwit and outlast any of the other smaller kingdoms is because of their magical abilities. He knows he should not try to humanize or sympathize with the enemy, but he wishes there could be another option other than war. Although thinking back to the events of recent negotiations, where one of their ambassadors came back with their face rearranged; there seems to be no hope that the rumors of their ruthlessness are false in any shape, way, or form.

Dipper snaps out of his thoughts as he starts to feel the unpleasant feeling of the world tilting. He takes it as his queue to take a break from reading the letter. Without thinking it over too much he breaks the spell. He takes a deep breath, stopping the small continuous flow of magic; the words disappearing from the page. An instant later, Dipper feels the world stop spinning, and he can't help the sigh of relief that escapes him. Even though if it is a small spell, after using it continuously for the past two hours and a half, it starts to take a toll. He lays down on his side with his feet still soaking in the crystal clear water, resting his head on his piles of notes. His hand dances over the surface of the water in nonsensical shapes, moving a random floating leaf around, as he recovers from the motion sickness. The sound of water cascading from the fountain fills the area with some peace.

Deciding to check out his progress, Dipper blindly reaches for the notebook beneath his head, not wanting to move from his comfortable spot. Once he grabs it, he opens the notebook to the page where his quill is shoved in between as a bookmark. There are scribbles, random letters crossed out and arrows all around the page, but despite the messiness he can still make out the message from the blond. Just reading the first few sentences makes him roll his eyes.

_Well, Well, Well. You’re absolutely adorable lil Pine Tree. Watching you try to piece this mystery together with your feeble, little mind is like watching an omelet try to profess its love for the letter J! It’s painfully HILARIOUS. If you only knew how much I know. You’d be mesmerized for a thousand years, and then some. I would be able to bring wonders never seen before into your life. Don’t get me wrong. The only reason I would do that is because I need someone to show them off to. What’s the point of having all of this knowledge if you don’t get to rub it in people’s faces? And what better face to show it to than your pretty, little face. In exchange for helping your small existence reach some sort of meaning, why don’t you tell me about that cloaking spell you’ve been spewing about in the last letter. Come on, Pine Tree. We’ve been doing this back and forth thing for a long time. How much more flattery do I have to send your way for you to tell me? Don’t be cruel._

_And to answer your previous question: I am not always so charming, but I am always very persuasive. I have to make good first impressions, you know. Plus, people will always believe anything so long as it’s a compliment. Although to be honest, you’re one of the few that have been able to refuse me for so long. Heh. Your small acts of defiance are actually refreshing and those insults you send my way just floor me. I would go as far as to say that I want to talk to you more than usual. Pine Tree, you’re one of the few that I can have a decent conversation with because you’re not that stupid. I am actually glad that I had that whim to follow you that day in the woods. I actually learned something new! And it was from you! Who would have guessed? I don’t even want to extinguish that measly spark of yours._

_Also don’t be so melodramatic. Sure, I am the same guy you met back there, but there’s no sense in keeping up appearances now that -you adorably think- you know my intentions. You also seem to have more bite to your words than on that day. I guess we’re just getting more comfortable with each other, aren’t we, Pine Tree? Heck. Maybe being more sincere with you like you asked me to was a mistake- but I don’t make those, so nope; you just need to get used to it. You wanted the real me and a little less flirting in the letters then here it is! Although, I have no problem with your flirting, so please, do continue. I’ve never been so flattered. Some of my favorites pet names you’ve used for me: asshole, you damn know it all, condescending prick, and Oedipus wouldn’t feel bad around you, you motherfucker. Honestly, what a potty-mouth. I guess, I am not the only one showing my true colors. Everything else aside, in a world filled with complete imbeciles, you’re not that bad._  

_B'ii ns assbyf hzj azzy, Rbys Oess_

The light humming sound coming from the direction of the marble path brings him out of his reading. Dipper stays in his position, looking over his shoulder to see the person approaching. He smiles as Mabel comes into view from behind a finely trimmed bush. She returns the gesture with one twice as bright. Her white stola and a red shawl draped over her, flowing behind her at every step. “Hey, Dip.” She greets cheerfully, “I knew you’d be here.”

“Wow! Divination. I guess, there’s more than one magical twin this time around.” He jokes, not being able to help himself. He discreetly makes all of his stuff vanish with a snap of his finger- another trick that he has learned from the blond. He counts his lucky stars as Mabel fails to notice the disappearance.

His sister snorts in amusement, making her way towards him. “You don't have to be magical to know that you’re here. You practically do this every day.” Mabel justifies, sitting down on the spot above his head. “I mean, if you're not here then you're probably frolicking in the forest.” She adds animatedly, making ridiculous hand gestures to accentuate her point.

Dipper pouts at the statement. “I do not frolic, Mabel,” He defends, tilting his head back to glare up at her, but it does not possess any heat. Not that it matters since Mabel does not even seem to be paying attention him, instead focusing on adjusting the belt around her waist. The lack of attention, however, does not stop him from continuing. “I just walk around the forest. There is no frolicking whatsoever.”

“Sure, there isn’t,” she agrees, smiling and nodding. Her tone of voice not matching her words or actions; both of them mocking in nature. “And the earth also doesn’t revolve around the sun. Heck. You don't even sound like a kitten when you sneeze, right?”

“Hey!” Dipper says indignantly, his index finger coming up in the air as a force of habit; completely ready to give her a piece of his mind. She is extending a clear challenge to engage him in an argument- a very childish and pointless one. He almost accepts the challenge too but rethinks it. They both know where this argument is going because it has happened in the past. He says no; she says yes. After the back and forth argument, they go around for the next two hours asking the opinions of everyone in the palace. Meanwhile, Mabel does everything in her power to make him sneeze- and there is nothing stronger than the power of Mabel, so she always succeeds. He gets a headache just thinking about it, so he decides to let it go; mumbling under his breath, “I do not sneeze like a kitten.”

“Uh-huh.” She hums, clearly hearing him. She smiles victoriously and unties her sandals. She throws her shoes indiscriminately towards the marble path before her feet join his in the water. “So, guess what I did today, Dip?” She asks playfully, kicking her feet back and forth- practically vibrating in joy. Before Dipper can even think of a reasonable response, she starts up again- not even giving him a real chance to speak. Her excitement probably too much to contain and allow her to wait for his response. He snorts at her antics, enjoying the bubbly quality to her voice. “I convinced one of the soldiers to let me train with them -again- and it was so much fun. And don’t act too surprised, but I kicked some serious butt. Just look at my blisters!” She says enthusiastically, holding up her hands to his face.

True to her word, they are covered with blisters and bleeding at some spots from yielding a sword. Dipper’s stomach twists at the reminder that all of the soldiers have been in the courtyard training- all of them waiting for the bells of battle to ring. He quickly pushes his own discomfort to the side, remembering the issue at hand. “Let me heal those.” He says, sitting up and scooting over towards his twin. He reaches over to grab her hands, but she pulls away. Dipper looks at her with a raised eyebrow, trying to reach for them again- but she shakes her head with a pout. “Come on, Mabel. They look like they really hurt.”

“No, they really don’t.” She explains, extending both of her hands in front of herself- and out of away his reach- to admire them. “Plus, they’re proof of all my training today. If you heal them with your magic, then my hands won't get calloused. They’ll just end up bleeding all over again when I get my hands on a sword.” She flexes her fingers, before letting them fall to her side. She notices that he still looks unconvinced and smiles, poking his cheek. “Don’t be such a worry-wart, Dip. They don’t even hurt that bad. Promise.”

“Fine. But you should have someone tend to them later.” Dipper relents, swatting her hand away from his face. “If you change your mind, my offer still stands.”

“Thanks, bro-bro.” She laughs, shoving him playfully- and painfully hard. “You’re the best.”

Dipper barely manages to catch himself from being flung off his seat, his arm barely shooting out to his side to catch him. It takes him a moment to recover from the slight shock of being pushed to the side, blinking a few times to process the situation. He cannot help think that she really has gotten stronger from all those impromptu training lessons. He laughs, feeling the need to get even. “No. You’re the best, Mabel.” He contradicts, shoving her just as hard in revenge, but she barely budges.

“I have to disagree, Dipping Sauce. You’re the bestest ever,” she states, catching on to the small game. This time when she shoves him, Dipper cannot hold his balance and falls into the fountain. He sputters, flailing a bit until he manages to sit up. He spits out water from his mouth, imitating the statue in the middle of the fountain. When he finally reorients himself, he can hear Mabel laughing. She is holding her stomach and covering her mouth with her other hand, both of her eyes shut tightly- and it annoys him slightly.

Dipper mutters a spell under his breath, sending a wave towards his twin. Mabel does not even notice until it is too late, being completely consumed with her laughing fit- but the wave brings it to an effective stop. She stares at him with wide eyes, confusion written all over her face. Her eyes focus on him, and one word leaves her lips: “Cheater.”  

She kicks the water, sending a splash in his direction- and he returns the childish display. At some point, they both end up running in the fountain and throwing water towards one another. They run around in circles, hair and drapery completely soaked. After a while, Dipper is tackled into the water by his sister- not even getting a chance to say the first word of the incantation. The very air from his lungs being knocked out of him. Both of them laugh as they try to wrestle with one another, trying to get the upper hand. Mabel wins the small match, getting him in a chokehold. As he tries to pry her arm from his throat, Dipper manages to concentrate hard enough to not need an incantation. Water, instantly, shoots up and against her face with such force that he manages to detach himself as she is thrown back. He rolls away but does not have enough strength to get back to his feet.

“You look ridiculous,” he says in between his laughter, settling with staying seated in the fountain. He continues to laugh at Mabel’s expense, as she recovers from his attack- her arms flailing in the air pointlessly and her hair covering her face like a veil.

Mabel groans, as she blindly splashes the water in a random attempt to get him. After a short time, she gives up and sits up. She parts her hair in half, pulling it aside like a curtain to get a good look at him. “Well, you don’t look any better,” Mabel informs with a smile, wringing her hair. “If anything you look ridiculouser.”

“Not a real word, Mabes.” He corrects, ignoring her eye roll. “It’s actually more ridiculous, not ridiculouser.”

The rushed footsteps coming towards them derails their conversation. Mabel and he turn towards the sound, before turning back towards each other. Without having to exchange words they both rush to get out of the fountain, knowing that they will receive another lecture that they should be more mature if they are caught. Dipper extends a hand, helping his sister out of the fountain- and this is how they are caught. Fortunately, the person rounding the corner is not anyone that would ever lecture them about anything- advise them: yes, but lecture: never- because they are too chill for that. The twins let out a sigh of relief before greeting the redhead with a smile and simultaneously saying, “Hey, Wendy!”

Instead of greeting them with the same enthusiasm or usual casualness, she simply says, “Hey, guys.” Mabel and he look at her with concern, instantly knowing something is wrong. Wendy scratches the back of her neck, sighing. “I know this sucks and I’m sorry about this, but there is no time for small talk.” She rushes towards them, grabbing them both by the upper arm- not even caring or commenting about them being soaked or barefoot. “I have orders,” she informs, leading them out of the garden. “I need to get you both back inside quickly.”

Dipper opens his mouth wanting to ask her what wrong- Wendy is always cool even under pressure, but she seems less laid back than usual. Although, Dipper does not have the courage to actually voice his concerns, knowing that he will not like the answer. Regardless of his apprehension, he receives his answer; when he hears those dreaded bells ringing- the bells of war. The loud resonating sound almost making him trip over his feet. There is no way to mistake the sound- to warn all of the citizens to evacuate and alert the soldiers that it is their time to rise to the occasion. A chill travels down his spine, feeling the very sound of the bell resonate in his chest. His feet move on their own accord, feeling like jelly beneath him. Wendy squeezes his arm, either to get his attention or as a sign of comfort, and it snaps him out of it. He picks up the pace and glance over to Mabel, who has an indistinguishable look about her. It all makes his stomach do flips.

By the time they arrive at the palace, on the second floor, the mages of the kingdom are already coming out from their quarters- or more accurately, their prisons. All of them are wearing black robes and cuffs around their ankles to differentiate them from the regular soldiers- not that they need them due to their abnormalities. The mages marvel at the interior decorations of the palace- the very magnitude of the space making their jaws drop. All of their eyes dart from colossal column to column, admiring the capitals, which seem to be made of lace rather than marble. Their heads tilting back to gawk at the huge dome set above them, while some stare at the different assortment of paintings decorating the walls. The ornate walls probably very different from the naked, brick walls in their cells. Once the mages finally take in the setting, they begin to nervously shuffle about; pure terror reflected in their eyes as the gravity of the situation hits them.

Dipper feels his stomach lurch, knowing fully well that he should be down there with them. If it were not for his family and position, he would be amongst them- having to march right into harm’s way and completely ready to be disposed of the moment his usefulness was over. His hands grip onto the hand railing, watching as a small pile of black pills are being dispersed by the higher ups to the mages. He feels disgust assault him at the sight because he knows exactly what they are- and sometimes he wishes he didn’t. The moment any of the mages start to lose control of their powers, the small pill will instantly kill them. Dipper lets go of the railing and unconsciously begins to scratch himself, knowing that most of the mage probably do not even know what they are ingesting. Every time he sees one of them swallow it, he wants to scream and warn them...but he bites his tongue- because it’s all for the sake of the kingdom.

After a short time, the soldiers of the kingdom enter and line up behind the mages. Every single one of them buzzing with excitement at the promise of a battle- which makes sense, since they all signed up for this. They have all been waiting for this for this moment- the opportunity to rise above their station and have the honor of slaying one of those demons. Some of them are laughing and smiling like they are going out for a celebration, not a war. Dipper can almost hear them making bets about how many enemies they will slaughter- all for the sake of glory. Dipper barely notices when Wendy leaves to get into formation, as he catches sight of his great-uncle, Ford.

Despite the confusion and fear emanating from the mages behind him, his great-uncle still seems calm and collected. Of course, he looks a mirror image of Stan, except for the weariness of his facial features- from the many years of hard labor- and six fingered hands. Ford catches him staring despite the distance and sends him a smile- a reassuring smile that he has no right taking comfort in. After everyone settles down to their designated positions, Ford takes his position in front of the mages putting his hands in the air like a condocuter. On his signal, a wave of his hands, all of the mages start an incantation- repeating the phrase until there is a luminescent array of colors floating above the soldier's head. He hears Mabel gasp in amazement, and he can’t help the wonder that fills him at the display- nor stop himself from joining in on the incantation.

As the casting comes to an end, the soldiers receive different symbols on their persona- each one indicating the individual projecting their power to them. Most of the soldiers receive a symbol of a golden six-fingered hand courtesy of his great-uncle ford- his magic overpowering the rest of the mages. Dipper winces as he notices that a good majority have his blue pine-tree symbol, and his great-uncle Ford notices it too by the look he shoots his way- and Dipper shamefully looks away. He is definitely getting lectured about that- and maybe praised a little too, by the way, Ford’s face struggles from being angry and amazed by his performance.

Dipper finally spots Grunkle Stan, as he walks towards Ford. His gold brass knuckles shimmer in the light, and he has a smile on his face that shows his readiness to fight. “Are you ready for this, poindexter?!” Stan’s voice booms, as he slings an arm around his twin’s shoulders. “Or are you getting too old for this?”

Dipper casts a spell to hear them, his head starting to hurt from so many incarnations. He hears his great-uncle Ford scoffs, as clear as day. “I have enough fight in me to last another twenty years, Stanley, so worry about yourself.”

“I do”, Stan points out, not letting Ford shrug him off. “But there’s an order to these things, ya know. It goes family, money, and then me.”

Ford hums, crossing his arm and looking over at him with a small indistinguishable smile. “Tell me, Stanley: what is the point of having all that money if you’re dead?”

Stan is right about to explain his logic when one of the higher-ups approaches them. A scowl on his face as he looks at the mages, before smiling at Stan. “Your highness, you need to get back into formation.” He informs him politely, before shooting Ford a dirty look. “ _They_ are supposed to go first.”  

Stan waves them off angrily, not appreciating the way the man spits out his sentence, “I’ve always fought alongside my brother and that ain’t about to change anytime soon, so go stick a sock in it.” Stan growls, looking at the man like he may just punch his lights out- which causes him to retreat.

Dipper smiles at the display, and Ford does too. Even after all these years, Grunkle Stan has never abandoned his brother sometimes even sneaking him out of his imprisonment by switching places. It is the only reason that Dipper has been able to have first-hand lessons from Ford. The higher up, who had tried to tell Stan what to do, goes back into position while murmuring something about Stan being a freak sympathizer- no one pays him any mind. Then, there is a loud sound of the horn. All the whispering and rustling in the room ceases, and the mages and soldiers begin to march out to the building. The mages going out first, so they can provide some cover to the soldiers- pretty much using the mages like shields.

Dipper feels a hand being placed on his and he looks down, noticing that he never stopped scratching- red marks and blood on his arm. He locks eyes with Mabel’s worried eyes, and he can’t help but think that the look seems foreign on her usual joyful face. “I’m sorry,” He apologizes, waving a hand over his arm to heal it. When he is done, he takes her hand in his own. “We better get going to the evacuation site.”

She nods, taking the lead. Mabel drags him across the many hallways, biting the inside of her cheek. There is a long silence between them; nothing really seeming appropriate to say at the moment. It is not until they are outside, looking towards the horizon where the battle is happening that Mabel breaks the silence. “Heh. This is stupid.” She shakes her head, before looking back at him with a smile. “I don’t even know why I’m worried. It’s Grunkle Stan and Ford out there, right. They’ll be back at any moment and they’ll tell us all about how many butts they kicked out there in the morning. Right?”

Despite her smile, he can still see the way that her jaw clenches. He smiles back at her as best as he can, squeezing her hand. “Probably.” He says, wanting to reassure her but not wanting to lie to her. “They have never lost a battle yet, and I don’t think they’re going to let that streak go anytime soon.” He looks over the buildings towards the red sky, watching different flashes of colors appear every so often. The sound of the distant swords clashing and screaming clear to him. He runs a hand through his hair before Mabel takes a deep breath and is pulling him along again.

They turn the corner to see the entire street packed with people; all of them pushing and shoving to get inside of the small, secret entrance to their evacuation site. The sight almost makes his jaw drop because they should have all been escorted inside already. Dipper looks around the area, trying to spot any of the soldiers in charge of the evacuation- which has been assigned as the top priority. He spots a pair a few feet away from him, standing on a crate and looking towards the direction of the battle instead of the evacuees. He curses under his breath, but Mabel is the one that releases his hand and storms toward them. “What the hell, do you guys think you’re doing?” She yells at them, “I don’t even care how cute you are, you’re both getting demoted for this.”

The men turn back with nonchalance, before their eyes land on his sister and recognize her immediately. They both stiffen. “We’re sorry.” They say, but Mabel does not seem to be having any of it as she snaps her fingers and signals them to get down. They do without a single word, and Mabel takes their place atop of the crate. She looks over the chaos, before taking a huge intake of air.

“Everyone listen to me!” She shouts loud enough to capture everyone’s attention. The entire area silencing and pausing as they recognize her as their princesses. “I need you all to stop shoving each other. Get into three straight lines! And allow women and children to go first!” She continues and everyone begins to do as they are told. “We need to do this in an orderly fashion, but don’t worry there is room for every single one of you in there!”

Dipper stands in a sort of amazement, watching as everyone begins to do as they are told- still seeming panicked throughout the entire process. He swallows the lump in his throat, knowing that he will probably never be able to command the respect that she does- in the end, she is a naturally born leader. He watches as she grabs the two soldiers by the collar, probably hissing something about them getting their acts together. It is not long until the process is going as it was originally planned, all of the evacuees filing in at a good pace. Dipper helps them direct the traffic of people with the other soldiers, as Mabel continues to supervise the entire thing without even flinching.

As he continues his job at trying to keep everyone from shoving, he spots an individual- probably a soldier, who is trying to escape his duties- slip into the shadows. Without really thinking about it, he goes over to them because they need every person that they can get due to the magnitude of civilians. However, as he approaches the individual with their back towards him and places his hand on their shoulder, he feels the whole world spin. A vibrant blue flashes past his eyes. Dipper has to clench his eyes together at the pressure that assaults his cranium, whimpering as he feels the ground disappear beneath him. The pain in his head only stops when he feels himself crashing upon the ground, his hand still clenching at the individual's shoulder. He groans, rubbing his head and sitting up. The person seems to have passed out at his side, having hit their head from the impact to the ground. Dipper’s own head feeling like it is filled with cotton. Regardless, he dizzily turns the person- a woman- over, noticing the two protruding horns and an armor that does not belong to their kingdom.

Dipper’s heart stutters in his chest at the implication, realizing two things. Number one being that the woman is a mage for the enemy, and the second being that he has been teleported with them… to the middle of the battlefield.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait.


	3. War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait- I hope you enjoy this chapter. Some violence in it, death mention, and weapons- welp it's war. If there is anything else that you would like want me to tag, anything, please tell me.....

Battle cries, screams of pain, and weapons clashing all reach Dipper’s ears at the same time. All of the sounds just being another confirmation of his darkest fears- that he is on the battlefield, in the middle of a war. He feels a diluted sense of panic at the revelation; his mind feeling like it is caught in the middle a whirlwind. All of his thoughts convoluting into one and not making any sense as they simultaneously spin around in his head- somewhere in the mixture, Dipper knows that the poorly executed teleportation spell is to be blame for his disorientation. He has read dozens upon dozens of warnings about the backlash of magic that result from messing up a spell- and experienced some of them himself, but never one of this caliber.

Dipper clenches his eyes tightly shut, a small gasp of pain escaping him, as another wave of the powerful backlash assaults him. He instinctively curls into himself, threading his fingers through his curls- doing anything in an attempt to alleviate the pressure building up in his skull, threatening to make it explode. He does not even remember the last time that he has had to endure a headache this bad, but all he can do is try to bear the overwhelming pain. In the end, Dipper does the only thing that he can do in a situation like this, not having his great-uncle Ford or Mabel to help him through it, he endures the pain alone. He counts the seconds between each inhale and exhale- the small act helping him take his mind off the pain.

By the time the pain finally clears, so do all of his thoughts- his brain feeling like it is stuffed to the brim with cotton. He tries to remember what he is even doing, tries to concentrate- but he cannot even remember his own name, at the moment. Everything is wiped clean from his mind- except for the instinctual fear that motivates him to try to do something.

He takes in a shaky breath, trying to simply gather his bearings. But, it is easier said than done, since everything in his mind is a clean slate- all of his thoughts seemingly more distorted and hazy than it had been at the start. He still cannot even focus on anything else than just breathing- afraid that if he loses concentration he will just forget to do it. Every single action, from simply breathing to sitting up straight, takes a lot of effort to accomplish. Although with every second that passes, he can feel himself becoming himself again- but it is all for naught as another wave of pain seems to crash against him.

After a couple of moments of the torture, Dipper manages to adjust to the pain. The intervals between the backlash slowly growing longer and longer with time, along with weakening in their effects. He even manages to open his eyes, but the change in lighting is almost enough to make him regret his choice. The slightest change of stimulus being enough to make his pounding headache worse- making it throb with such intensity that all he can do is bite his lip to hold back a cry.

The very first thing that Dipper notices, when his eyes adjust to the light, is his surroundings. Despite his initial confusion, Dipper instantly recognizes the terrain- a large clearing between the kingdom’s capital and forest, one that he has often time traveled through on his trips to greet the magical creatures in the forest. Although, it hardly even resembles itself with the destruction that has been brought upon it. Most of the greenery that usually adorned the area seems to have been trampled upon and burned to a crisp. Scorch marks, craters, bodies and blood decorate the field rather than the green grass and colorful flowers. All of the life that the area once held and nurtured completely destroyed in a matter of hours. It all makes him sick to his stomach- because it all seems so senseless, even to his confused mind.

The second thing that Dipper comes to register is the battles occurring around him. All of them transpiring just a couple of feet away from him. If any of the soldiers were to just turn their heads or look away from their opponents, for just a moment, then they would be able to see him too- but if they did that, then Dipper would definitely be the last person they would ever lay their eyes on.

Some of the soldiers are weaponless, only using the superhuman strength that has been dawned upon them by the mages to battle their enemy; while others have a weapon in their hands, slashing or impaling their enemies with otherworldly agility. It all seems so odd in his fogged brain, the way that the many figures seem to be moving so fluidly- dodges and attacks seeming more like a dance. There is so much magic being used in the nearby vicinity that the very atmosphere seems to be vibrating with it. The blood drenching the soldiers and ground almost complementary to the beautiful crimson sky.

Regardless of his state of mind, one of the last things that Dipper realizes is that no one, friend or foe, has noticed the woman’s or his own presence. The young prince feels a small, almost nonexistent sense of relief flood him at the discovery- since they seem to have teleported to a secluded part of the battlefield, the sidelines. Although, they are still relatively close to the action- some of the weapons that the soldier have lost littering the area around them and within reach.

Dipper’s attention snaps back to the passed out soldier by his side when she groans in pain. He faces her. A small amount of fear fills him when the woman’s eyes shoot open and immediately focus on him. As she glares daggers at him, all he can do with his sluggish mind is just stupidly stare back at her, tilting his head to the side in confusion. The impromptu teleportation still taking a rather large toll on his mind. Instead of focusing on the imminent danger in front of him, his mind wanders, concentrating more on the fact that he knows why the spell failed in the first place. The reason being that the mage did not take him into account while doing the spell and did not use enough magic for the trip- therefore the spell forcefully wrenched magic away from him to compensate for the mistake. A stupid and avoidable mistake really.

While Dipper mentally pats himself on the back for connecting the dots- his mind starting to pick up the pace and slowly starting to recover from the backlash of magic- the woman begins to gather her wits as well. Dipper notices that the woman seems to recover from the effects of the spell faster than him- probably because he withstood most of the backlash in the first place- and she does not take a long time to make her move. Dipper’s first and only reaction is to simply blink, as the woman sits up… and moves… her hand coming really close to his face- extremely close- and then his mind decides to piece it together... She is going to punch him square in the face.

Fortunately for him, his body reacts faster than his mind- and before he knows it, he has moved out of the way with a millisecond to spare. Unfortunately, his fogged brain cannot come up with anything better than clumsily throwing himself back to avoid the hit. His sense of balance and agility gone to the wind, his head and back unceremoniously meet the floor. As he lays on the ground, the world spinning, and tilting, Dipper comes to the conclusion that the soldier is also having at least some trouble with the aftermath of the spell; if not, then he would definitely be parading a broken nose.

Dipper shakily lifts himself up by the elbows, knowing fully well that he cannot afford to be still in such a dangerous environment. The fact that he is on the battlefield, with an enemy in front of him, reinserting itself into the forefront of his mind. It is like all of the fog that has been pestering since his arrival on the battlefield suddenly decided that he had suffered enough, liberating him. He scrambles to sit up fully, blinking away the last bits of the bleariness bothering him.

The woman gets back up on her feet; and his body tenses in preparation for a fight. She sneers at him, looking like she is going to attack him, but to his surprise, she does not. She restrains herself with a clenched jaw. She shakes her head, before turning her back towards him. It is a relief, to say the least; but as she begins to walk away, Dipper catches her repeating something to herself. “I need to report first. The report first, then I can kill,” she repeats, “Report first, or he’ll have my head.” The woman almost trips on her own feet- noticeably dizzy from the hit to the head and dysfunctional spell. “First things first, I need to report.”

Dipper cannot help the confusion that hits him at the turn of events. After being dragged to the battlefield, he seriously expected a fight. Anyone else would be thankful for this opportunity- the chance to sneak away, to go back unnoticed to the safety of the palace, and get away from the heat of battle- but he just needs to know why. Why is she letting him go so easily? What could she be reporting? What could possibly be so important that she would ignore her very obvious bloodlust?

Then, the answer hits him like a bucket of ice cold water. She does not have time to waste on him because she has more important things to do. She, the enemy, knows the exact location of the evacuation site, which is supposed to be a secret to all outsiders. She is carrying vital information; and the intel’s delivery obviously trumps any personal desires, since it could determine the outcome of the war.

Dipper’s heart drops to his stomach, as the possible repercussions of the information being delivered dawns upon him. If the enemy took the civilians as hostages, then his great uncles would have no other choice but to surrender. If the opposing kingdom attacked the evacuation site, then the civilians would be as good as sitting ducks, considering that they would be caught by surprise and outnumbered. Sure, they would be able to fight back, but there would definitely be no chance of victory- since most of them are unfit for battle. Dipper can feel the bile rise in his throat at the next thought; If they slaughtered the civilians, then there would be absolutely no point to fighting- It would all be a lost cause.

No matter the scenario, if the soldier’s superiors got a hold of that information, then Gravity Falls would automatically lose any possible chance of winning this battle- or war.

Instantly knowing that he cannot let the woman pass on the information, Dipper tries to convince himself to get on his feet… to do something. He knows that he needs to do something. He cannot let innocent people- his people- be put in the middle of danger, but his body hesitates to even stand. The fear pumping through his veins, keeping him frozen in place. Dipper is terrified, and he has every right to be. Logically, he cannot put up a fight against this soldier, who has muscles as big as his head and has obviously trained all of their life to be a killing machine. But as the image of his sister flashes through his mind, he knows that he cannot do anything. He may be terrified and would rather curl up and feel sorry for himself, but he needs to do this… because he is the only one that can; he is the only one that can keep them all safe.

Grinding his teeth together, Dipper forces himself to his feet. Pushing down the fear that threatens to overtake him, Dipper wobbly runs towards the woman, who has all the information that it takes to win or lose this war, and tackles her to the floor. He uses all of his weight to tip her over, which might be the only reason he manages to accomplish this feat. The soldier must not have expected him to go after, letting her guard down and giving Dipper the once in a lifetime chance to catch her by surprise- it might be the only reason that she actually falls to the ground. She falls with a curse, landing face first in the dirt, as Dipper puts all of his weight on her, his hands clutching at her sides, to keep her pinned to the floor. The small victory is almost enough to alleviate the fear in his chest, but then Dipper realizes that he does not know what to do next.

As a hair-raising growl emanates from the soldier beneath him, Dipper truly wishes that he had more time to come up with a better plan- because anything would be better than simply rushing in blindly. He wishes that he had taken Stan’s fighting lessons more seriously, but he is thankful for Mabel always wrestling with him, which gives him some sort of practice for this situation. He finds it mildly funny that they are the only ones going through his mind, as he tries to keep the woman pinned down. “What the fuck,” She curses, reaching behind herself to get a hold of him, to get him to let go- even thrashing like an untamable stallion. But, Dipper holds on as long as he can, until he is grabbed by the upper arm, in a bruise-inducing grip and thrown off of her with relative ease- his back hitting the dirt in a painful collision. “Can you stop being a pain in my ass already?!” The woman yells, turning to face him.

It may be from the shock or the adrenaline pumping through him, but Dipper calmly shakes his head and says, “Nuh-uh. I seriously can’t,” The response infuriates- and confuses- the soldier. He barely has enough time to raise his hands -to try -and defend himself, before the woman launches herself at him. Dipper swallows the lump in his throat, wishing that his magic would listen to him- but he still needs time to recover from all the spells that he has conducted all day. Without his spells, all that Dipper can rely on is his own strength, as the woman and he wrestles- if it can ever be considered that since she is a trained soldier and easily deliver swift hits all over his body.

The woman has a crazed smile on her face, as she finally pins him down, grabbing both sides of head- which elicits a small, unwarranted whimper from him. Dipper tries to shove her off with no avail, desperately trying to issue some sort of damage with his punches and kicks- but it is of no use. The woman laughs at his weak attempts, before slamming his head against the floor.

Dipper cries out in pain, going limp at the impact. After the bright whiteness that takes over his vision disperses, he watches as the red sky comes into full view. The soldier gets off of him- having no more time to spare for him. It takes Dipper a few moments to completely reorient himself, head still suffering from the aftermath of the hit. He dizzily rolls over to his side, feeling a warm liquid dripping down the nape of his neck. He watches her walk away- not even bothering to look back at him. The humiliation that strikes him seems unfounded because he should be happy that she is walking away and letting him live, but her utter dismissal of his efforts- after he tried his hardest and risked it all- boils his blood. Is this really all he has to offer? Will all those people be put in the midst of danger and possibly die because of him- and all he will be able to say is that he tried his hardest, as he stands over his sister’s grave.

Just the mental image is enough to make his heart screech to a halt because there is so much more at stake than just his life. In spite of the pain radiating from all of his injuries, it is with an odd sense of familiarity that Dipper finally feels a slight spark of magic ignite in him. He does not even need to think twice before muttering a spell under his breath, one that would put an end to all of this- and keep the civilians safe, keep Mabel safe.

The woman instantly jerks back, as the last word slips past his busted lip, stopping mid-step as she is yanked back by her throat. Dipper watches a bit detachedly, as she sputters a few feet away from him, clawing at her throat to relieve herself from the pressure that is cutting off her air pipes. The sight makes him feel disgusted with himself, he knows fully well that he will never be able to diminish the self-hatred he feels for himself for using his magic in this way- to hurt someone...to kill someone, but he has to do this. He needs to make sure that Mabel and the others are safe- they have nothing to do with this fight and he will not let them become casualties of war. If this war can take anything from him, then let it be his ideals… but not his family, not Mabel.

Dipper forces himself to keep repeating the incantation, pushing himself onto his hands and knees. He never stops concentrating on the spell, his thoughts to protect the citizens- the people of his kingdom swirling around his head. Even when every fiber of his being is begging him not to do this, he continues because he has to- all for the sake of the kingdom. Dipper watches as she falls to her knees face turning colors before he is forced to break the spell- due to a swift kick his side.

Another soldier from the opposing side- a man with no lips or skin around his jaw, leaving all of his teeth exposed- stands above him, and this time with a weapon in hand. Dipper’s body reacts on its own, reflexively rolling to the  side to not get impaled in the stomach by the man’s sword. The world around him spins, but the adrenaline stops him from passing out and forces him to keep moving. Luckily, he catches the glimmer of a discarded sword near him and he crawls towards it, before shooting up to his feet. His heart pumps at a rate of a million beats per second, as he tries to hold the weapon effectively- wishing that he had taken Wendy up on the offer of how to wield a sword just a couple of more times than he had.

The man in front of him snaps his teeth at him and smiles wider at his actions, sparing a glance down at his shaking legs. “I guess, you’ll be fun to play with for a while,” The man says, as he playfully taps his sword with his. “Try to put up a good fight, kid.”

“Just try to keep up yourself,” Dipper taunts, not having any self-restraint.

The man laughs at his impudence. “Good to see you have some bite in you, kid. It almost makes me sorry about having to kill you.”

Dipper does not know how to respond to that and is left to just try with all of his might to match the man’s strikes, which are just mocking taps to his sword that are slowly getting faster and faster. The moment he turns away to look over his shoulder to catch a look at the woman responsible for getting him into this mess, the man nearly cuts a hole through his stomach. But with the slight peek, Dipper feels his shoulders untense just a bit. The woman is passed out; chest still rising and falling- and he is not a murderer.

The man in front of him keeps increasing the rate of his attacks. Every time he tries to chance a glance to anywhere but the man, trying to look down at his own feet to not step on any of the sharp rocks with his bare feet, the soldier rips another portion of clothing and skin. The man laughs, snapping his teeth at him. “Keep your eyes on me.”

“Yeah, I know.” Dipper grunts, as his body protests every one of his movements- his back and side probably bruised black and blue. He can feel his drapery being soaked with blood from the multiple, shallow wounds that he has received- and he probably has more injuries, but he does not want to dwell on them. So far, he is barely managing to hold onto his weapon with his sweaty hands and match the soldier’s sword movements with his own- and he guesses that Wendy was right when she told him that he at least needed to know the basics of sword fighting. Unfortunately, that is all he knows: the basics. The man in front of him is skilled- and he is just toying with him, laughing as he attempts to block his swings.

Dipper does not know how long this has been going on, but he already feels tired. There is sweat building up on his brow, his arms feel strained from holding up the sword, and he is running out of breath. He keeps being pushed back by the other- only being able to be on the defensive. He can feel his hands start to bleed from holding onto the sword with his untrained hands. For some reason or another, he still cannot feel the pulse of magic within him. Every time he tries to summon a slimmer of it a pain shoots up his side -where the man kicked him- like he is being stabbed. He wants to chance a look but knows that the man will grant him no such opportunity. Instead, he decides to check on the woman.

In a moment, when he looks to the place that the woman had passed out from lack of air, he notices her disappearance- and the man in front of him uses the opportunity to swipe his feet from underneath him.

As his back meets the floor again, Dipper cannot maintain his grip on his sword and it flies out of his hand. All of the air in his lungs is expelled on impact, which also intensifies the pain on his back due to the bruise that has already formed from the past few times. Dipper can feel some tears cling to the corner of his eyes, and he bites his tongue to preserve some of his dignity. Once he gets his wits about him, he hastily _tries_ to turn around to get off his back- tries to find the woman through the chaos- but the man with all of his teeth exposed stomps on his chest, pinning him to the ground under the heel of his foot. Despite his current predicament, there is only one thing that is causing his panic rise: he let her get away. And all that he has done is for nothing because their enemies are going to know where the civilians are hiding. He couldn’t protect them.

The man above him chuckles, before stomping on his chest again- and Dipper’s voice catches in his throat. Something definitely just snapped. The pain shooting up from his chest makes his hands twitch, as he tries to get the man’s foot off him- completely unable to summon the power to do anything. In that moment, his vision once again swims and mind go completely blank. He grits his teeth to keep from screaming from the excruciating pain, as he desperately tries to bring air into his lungs. The man’s laugh being the only thing clear in his mind, as he stomps on his chest again and again. “Shouldn't have tried tried to be a hero, kid,” He says after Dipper’s hands fall to his side. He looks down at him with an amused look on his face, lifting his sword above his head- aiming for his neck. “At least you were sort of fun, little one, but good things must come to an end.”

“I- I,” Dipper starts before biting his tongue. He knows there is no reason to beg, so he will not do it. Might as well die with some pride. A million things pass through his mind- his family, his friends, and even that stranger from the woods. He wishes that he could summon any amount of magic, that he could be strong enough to push the man’s foot off of him- but he can’t do anything. He could not even keep that woman from getting away… and they are all going to die, or be enslaved, or maybe something even imaginably worse- and the thoughts spring more angry tears from his eyes. In the end, he couldn't do anything.

To his surprise, before the man swings down his sword, there is a huge, pulse of magic- which makes everything freeze.

There is no sound- no screams or weapons clashing. It is like someone has just frozen time. Dipper opens his eyes, looking up at the man still above him, who is not even paying attention to him. Instead, the soldier’s sight is skyward, smiling with a crazed glint in his eyes. “That crazy bastard has always been a show-off.”

From the corner of Dipper’s eyes, he can see no movement and everyone else seems to have their eyes focused on the red sky. His blood runs cold as there is a continuous amount of magic pounding the area. Not being able to help himself, Dipper follows suit. His eyes widen and jaw drops at the sight.

The red clouds in the sky have all parted, forming a triangular shape. In the middle of the triangle, a raging, blue flame emerges- one that illuminates the entire area like the sun itself. The heat radiating from the fire reaches even him, making him sweat and tremble in fear. Dipper cannot look away, as the fire coils within itself. Every moment that passes seeming more like a living creature rather than just a fire- seeming almost like a dragon's incarnation, which is growing with every millisecond. Dipper cannot even imagine how many people it would take to perform such an act, maybe a hundred, trained mages- but that is not the case. He can feel it in the magic that continues to pulse through the battlefield- there is only one magical signature embedded into the spell.

The entire experience seems to have taken an eternity to transpire, but in truth, only a second has passed. Dipper remembers all of the stories that his great-uncles have told him about their war experience, but nothing would have prepared him for the real thing. One of the stories that seem to be sticking out to him now is that whenever they have had a near-death experience, time seems to have slowed down dramatically. Allowing them to take in every single detail of the situation, much like he is able to do at the moment. It is an odd thought that manages to take root and continues to reinsert itself in his mind. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot help the feeling that he is going to die. He is going to die. The display of power has just delayed the inevitable- the man above him is still above him poised to kill… and he is going to die.

Dipper’s eyes are still stuck on the blue flame in the sky that seems to have reached full capacity. There is another blast of magic that nearly threatens to blow him away if the man above him did not have his foot practically embedded into his chest before the flame descends in the form of a tornado. Only that it is not coming down upon the battlefield like he had first expected, instead it rushes towards the direction of the palace- more accurately, where the evacuees are located. And it all makes sense. This is all his fault. This is his fault for not being able to finish the job, for not being strong enough. All of those people, his sister, are going to die in a whirl of flames- and he is the one to blame.  
  
But there still might be something he can still do- it’s not like he is going to survive this war either way.  
  
In a split second, before he can even reconsider his actions, he starts an incantation- one that he has practiced on a _much_ smaller scale, but it might be enough to do the job. It is the only thing that he can think to do on such a short notice. He musters up the last of his magic, scraping all that he has and forcing himself to push himself past the limits. There is that unignorable pain in his side, acting almost like a cork to the reserves of his magic, not letting even a glimmer of it slip past it. The instant he utters the last words of the spell, there is nothing- his magic still being unresponsive… and then, there is a blast of magic- one that rivals the single one still vibrating in the air.

Large vines sprout around the evacuation site, shaking the ground from the force of the magic and the momentous vines breaking through the soil. The man above him does not even have time to adjust to the blast of magic and loses his footing, practically flying away from him- the epicenter of the magic. Dipper takes the opportunity to take a shaky breath, ignoring the pain that has begun to burn through all of his nerves- along with the stabbing pain at his side. If the pain had been bad before, at this point it is practically unbearable.

The tornado of fire, within heartbeats of the vine’s appearance, clashes against it. Dipper is honestly so surprised that he has been able to hold the spell for so long, but it has only been a handful of seconds. The young prince can barely keep himself from closing his eyes, knowing the instant that he does he will probably never open them again. He continuous to send all of his magic towards the spell, creating more vines as they continue to be burned off. Replacing the lost ones- and just trying to withstand the force of the other’s magic. There is a little voice in the back of his head, begging him to stop- his rational side, telling him that he is going far beyond his own limit and the consequences could be catastrophic. He ignores it, concentrating fully on the spell because he is barely even holding his ground against the other- and he is seriously surprised that it is working.

Yet again, time is all relative. Dipper does not know how long it is before the fire finally retreats, allowing him to release his own spell. Dipper smiles, feeling the pride of being able to perform such an act. He is granted a few moments of clarity, taking the opportunity to see the confusion that has raked the battlefield from both sides. All of them looking around, trying to make sense of the occurrences that have happened too fast to even process. Everything must have taken less than a few minutes to transpire, but it has felt like a lifetime.

Dipper watches as the man with all of his teeth exposed staggers to his feet and looks towards the palace, where the vines are still wrapped around like a cocoon. His face contorts in anger, before focusing all of that hatred towards him. “You’ll pay for that, kid” he growls at him, the words almost lost in the animalistic tone.

Dipper cannot even muster up the strength to move a finger, as the man charges towards him with a sword in hand. There is a slight fear that strikes him, but that is quickly being masked by the blue fog starting to fill his brain. One of the last thing Dipper can see clearly is when the man charging towards him is thrown to the side like a ragdoll by someone crashing into them. His attacker ends up far away, skidding to a stop in the middle of the battlefield- and their sudden appearance in the midst of the other soldiers starts up all of the fighting.

The man that has just saved his life turns around, revealing a familiar face. A very confused and concerned face. “Dipper? Hey, dude! What are you doing here?” Soos, one of his closest friends, asks.

Dipper doesn’t even have it in himself to respond before he is struck with an overwhelming pain. He whimpers and Soos is immediately making his way towards him. Dipper faintly feels himself being sat up, and he can see Soos in front of him within moments- and he can see his lips moving but he does not know what he is saying. He tries to shake his head, trying to inform him that he cannot understand, but it just sends him into another dizzy spell. There are sounds that slightly resembles his name before the world once again lurches. He opens his eyes with much effort, and he sees the floor and the back of Soos’s back. The man has thrown him over his shoulder while he faded in and out of consciousness.

“Don’t freak out hardcore, dude,” the man says, in one of his moments of clarity. “I’ve got you. I’ll take you back to the palace. There are a bunch of doctors there. You’ll be alright.”

“Thanks, Soos.” Dipper whispers, watching as the floor whirls past him. The amount of movement makes his head spin once again and Dipper cannot hold down the contents of his stomach. By the time he is done puking, Soos is already trying to reassure him that everything is alright. Dipper does not respond to him, wiping his chin to get rid of the stuff stuck on his face. He shivers in fear, seeing the blood on his hand, and he tilts his head to see a huge puddle of blood a few feet away. And he laughs, because for a small moment he actually let himself believe that he would be alright. There is no way that he is going to survive this… he should have taken one of those pills.

Dipper can feel magic pouring out of him, leaking from every pore of his body- and there is no stopping it. But, he still struggles to keep it under control even if it is of no use. Another blast of pain makes him clench the fabric on Soos’s back, dry heaving since he has no more contents in his stomach. He can hear the clear humming of his magic, but he is not sure if it is just in his ears. His magic is not even listening to him, almost having a mind of its own. It is horrifying having no control- and he just keeps losing it. He has read tons of books about this, most of the books referring to it like a star going supernova- an explosion of all of the mage's power. The stronger the mage, the larger range of destruction. He taps Soos's back afraid for the big man carrying him and the possibility of him actually taking to the palace. “Soos, you-you need to let me go.”

“What are you talkin about, prince dude?” Soos asks, not slowing down at all- even as he avoids random spears and arrows raining down on him. “You must have been through a lot. But don’t worry dude, you’ll be safe. It’s okay. No more danger for you!”

“You don’t understand... I’m the danger.” Dipper tries, panting heavily. “Just tell everyone, 'I love them'. Okay?”

Soos looks back at him, wanting to ask him what is wrong- and at that exact moment Dipper feels magic coming their way from all around them. His body acts without his consent, deflecting the magic. However, the backlash of his uncontrolled magic causes an explosion that knocks both, Soos and him, back. It causes him to roll a couple of feet away, skidding to halt on opposing sides of each other. Dipper groans and coughs out more blood. He manages to sit up, and it is so hard to just roll himself over and use his weak arms to push him up. “Soos!” He calls out, not being able to see him- or anything with the blue haze overcoming his sight.

He closes his eyes, concentrating on keeping his magic in reins- but he has already resigned himself to death, so why he is still fighting it? He does not even understand it himself. Everything hurts, and he just wants to make it all go away. All of the abrupt movement jostling and aggravating his wounds. But he wishes, he could have at least said goodbye in person.

Dipper’s eyes shoot open when he recognizes a certain signature of magic- his grunkle Ford’s magic. He sees nothing except for the blue haziness, but he blinks it away- determined to see his uncle one last time. The battle area is not huge and having to run into them- out everyone is a blessing. After an eternity, his eyes focus, allowing him to see two familiar bodies in the distance- his great uncles. He can see that they’re up against one man, who has six arms with each one of them yielding a sword. A blond man that seems oddly familiar, but he jots it down as a hallucination because that can definitely not be the same man that he met in the middle of the forest two weeks ago.

Both of his great-uncles seem to be giving it their all while fighting the same opponent. Stan, trying to clobber him with his brass knuckles; while Ford hurls bolts of magic towards the six armed man. Both of their attacks seem unfruitful. They seem tired; the sweat trickling down their foreheads and their sluggish movements being a dead giveaway. The man does not even seem to be taking them seriously with the huge grin stretched across his face.

Meanwhile, Dipper can hear his magic crackle in the air, blue sparks of magic appearing in front of him. He tries to control his breathing, but he is so scared. He can’t even open his mouth to call out for help as his mouth keeps filling up with a metallic taste. He is losing the last shred of control.The moment he sees the blond man get the upper hand on them both- having Ford by the throat and watching him sputter for the life of him; while also aiming a sword right at Stan’s throat, restraining him with golden magical chains- he decides to butt in again, despite his position.

A small, pathetic whimper leaves him and a powerful pulse of magic follow the meek display; pushing everyone back except for the man with six arms who holds his ground. The brute force of his magic even forces the man to let go of his great-uncles, both of them being sent off flying along with everything else. The ground starts to shake and crack underneath him, the sparks no longer small but almost like fireworks going off. The air around him thick with magic that he can’t even breath right anymore, and everything sounds like he is underwater. He feels like he is about to explode- and he honestly thinks that he is, with all of the information he has read about mages overexerting himself.

Dipper falls to his side, breathing heavily, closing his eyes barely realizing as the man walks towards him. He can feel the man’s magic pushing against his own, not allowing himself to be pushed back. When the man reaches him, he pulls him up by one arm. Dipper wants to cry out in pain, the pinpricks from where the man is touching him feeling like fire are biting into his skin. He looks at the man and notices the eye patch with a golden triangle. The hallucination being oddly realistic because the man looks the same except for the gold that seems to have been melted onto his skin, continuing to drip like if it were sweat.

Instead of plunging his sword into him, the man examines him. A small smirk on his lips as he tilts his head up to look him in the eye. “I told you, ‘I’ll be seeing you soon, Pine Tree.’ I guess you just couldn’t stay away any longer.” The blond laughs, taking a look at the visible magic that has begun to spin around them. “Not as pathetically weak as the rest of them. You might just blow away the entire capitol with all this magic.”

Dipper does not respond. The magic taking over him. His body feeling heated. Losing the battle- and probably seconds away from his own death.

“Heh. Can’t let you die yet, kid,” The man says, brushing his thumb against Dipper’s bloodied bottom lip. “Things have just gotten a lot more interesting because of you.”

As the darkness begins to consume him, one of the last thing that Dipper feels are the mage’s lips pressing against his own. One of the man’s many hands cupping his chin to carefully pry his mouth open and slip his tongue into his mouth; his other hands keeping him from crumbling onto the floor, being mindful of his many injuries.

The chaos in Dipper’s head is slowly being replaced by tranquility. His injuries stop hurting and his magic starts to quell, as he focuses on just feeling the man’s lips and tongue against his own. The man’s movements being soft and mindful at first, before pressing against his own almost insistently, dominating him in every sense of the word.

As the man breaks away from the kiss with Dipper’s blood and saliva on his lips- Dipper passes out.


	4. Negotiations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being a little shit and taking long! Anyways, enjoy this exceptionally long chapter! There's some mentions of violence, flirtations, threats, and some female smut in this chapter?! *Coughs* 
> 
> (If you want me to tag anything in particular, all you've gotta do is ask.)

There have only been a handful of times, in which Dipper has truly wished for nothing more than to relinquish his alone time- to be around other people, to hear their voices, and to have a distraction from his tormenting thoughts- and this happens to be one of them. Isolated, inside of a large, pitched tent, Dipper can only worry about his family’s well-being and kingdom’s fate, wondering if they continue to fight- or if they have already fallen. He has been left completely in the dark about the outcome of the war, without a single clue on what to do- but it does not stop his frustrating mind from demanding answers. He knows nothing, absolutely nothing- about where he is or why he is there- and it is enough to send another wave of distress through him.

Dipper takes a deep measured breath, trying to keep himself from panicking- but it is easier said than done. There are so many things that can go wrong, at the moment, while being held captive by the enemy- and the uncertainty of it all makes the situation even more horrifying. All he knows for sure is that he needs to be strong- that he might be subject to an interrogation, maybe even tortured. From the reputation that his captors have gathered, by tormenting and conquering other kingdoms, Dipper knows that they are anything but merciful. The fact that they have kept him alive only serves to unnerve him to no end- because he does not understand why they are doing it. Unless they still have some use for him- maybe for negotiations purposes, or as a trophy.

As Dipper’s breath begins to quicken, due to the sudden notion that he might be kept around for his enemies to toy with and torture, a helpless panic fills up his chest. He can feel himself losing touch with his surroundings, vision becoming blurry until a sharp pain in his side grounds him. Ever since waking up, Dipper has been greeted, over and over again, by a ridiculous amount of pain and soreness. He cannot even bring himself to roll onto his back, as the pain reminds him of all the events on the battlefield. All at once, the frightening memories of the evening flood into his mind- all of the fighting, the fear, and near death experiences- assaulting him. The images run through his mind, none of them blurry, or even like a dream- it is all vivid and horribly fresh in his mind. It is like he is reliving it all over again. Dipper shudders, as the memories refuse to leave him alone, continuously tormenting him.

Dipper inhales deeply through his nose, closing his eyes tightly- trying to get a hold of himself. Through his heart-clenching fear, he tries to remember the breathing exercise that his great uncle Stan once taught him- inhaling and exhaling slowly. After a few moments, Dipper feels his heart rate start to slow down. “You’re okay,” he reminds himself, as he manages to regulate his breathing. “You’re going to be fine.” The simple, reassuring words are enough to relax him, but the underlying fear continues to tread over his chest, ready to emerge at any moment. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice reminds him that _it is only a matter of time before he has to endure even more hardship_ \- but Dipper stubbornly dismisses the thought.

After the pain and fear finally recedes and disappears, Dipper lets his eyes skim across the visible skin of his arm in hopes of a distraction. Unfortunately, all of the bruises and scratch marks are just another reminder of the war. Dipper lets out a mirthless laugh, realizing the futility of trying to distract himself from the depressing train of thought. No matter where he looks, he is just reminded of the war and his own helplessness. He absentmindedly continues to inspect the injuries on his arm, before making a face, when a foul smell reaches his nostrils. He barely holds back a gag, before trying to find the source of the stench- which is right in front of his face, a salve placed on his cuts. The ointment just confuses him even more- not only have his enemies been keeping him alive, but they have been treating his injuries too.

If Dipper could actually move, without withering in absolute pain, he would be pulling at his hair in despair. Nothing is making any sense. No matter how he looks at it, no matter the angle, there is no logical reasoning behind any of it. Why didn’t they let him die on the battlefield? What do they still want from him? Do they actually need him or are they just letting him live for their own sick pleasures? He wishes he could ask someone, but at the same, maybe not knowing is for the best. He might not like the answer that he receives.

Laying down on his side, upon a makeshift bed made up of foreign furs, Dipper gnaws at the inside of his cheek. He feels sick- and he just assumes that it is a side effect of losing control of his magic. He has had a lot of time to ponder about it, and it is the only reasonable conclusion. Regardless of him solving the mystery or not, his entire body still feels like it is burning up. Everything feels so hot, so very hot- but he can still feel himself shivering. The only comfort he feels from the overwhelming heat is the wet rag placed upon his forehead. And to top it all off, he feels absolutely repulsive from the cold sweat and exertion of the battle- he would actually willing bathe without needing to be reminded. Absolutely nothing is going his way. It has been misfortune upon misfortune for him- and he wonders how much worse it can possibly get.

Carding his hand through the soft fur beneath him, Dipper cannot help but admit to himself, in the deafening silence, that none of his readings have helped since waking up. He still has so many questions on the tip of his tongue, but there is no one around to answer any of them. He has not seen any of his captor, not even once, to ask them about their intentions or about his family- although, he doubts that they would willingly divulge anything that is not to their benefit. But not knowing anything is driving him absolutely insane. Dipper wishes he could check on them by casting a spell, but none of his magical abilities are working- a flare of pain at his side stopping him from even feeling the rumble of energy within him. In the end, all he can do is wait- and maybe try to get accustomed to the pain, so he can hopefully perform a spell.

After what seems like an eternity, Dipper gets tired of laying down and not doing anything, so he braces himself to sit up. In the midst of his attempt, his arms shake like leaves in a storm, while he breaks into a sweat- before managing his goal. The sound of his pained breath and rattling of chains echo in the lonely tent. There is a small smile that breaks on his face, as he accomplishes the small task. Adjusting himself on the bed of pelts, Dipper looks down at the shackle around his ankle, which connects him to a ball and chain, and he decides to try his luck once more. Dipper closes his eyes, placing a hand on top of the metal to unlock it, before murmuring a spell beneath his breath. For a moment, he thinks that he can almost feel his magic respond to him before he doubles over, a mind-bobbing amount of pain seemingly tearing his insides apart.

Dipper grits his teeth, holding back a scream, before yanking the cloth covering his side away to check the origin of his pain. His jaw drops when he sees a symbol- a triangle with a dot in the center, glowing an angry red, before subsiding into a black color- looking almost like a tattoo. Due to the irrational pain striking him, Dipper cannot fight the urge to claw at the image, trying to rip off his skin- if it were not for the pain he would be in awe because it is the first time that he has ever seen a magic block. Slowly the torment subsides and Dipper composes himself, feeling sweat drip down from the tip of his nose. He stares blankly at the golden multi-headed bear figurine in the corner of the room while guessing that the man with all of his teeth exposed did this to him.

Suddenly, all of the things that have happened since that swift kick suddenly make sense- why he could not summon any magic, or why it hurt so much when he finally managed to do it. Dipper inspects the mark for a couple more moments, before slowly straightening up, remembering that there is no possible way for him to dispel the block on his own- but Great Uncle Ford could probably do it no problem. He just needs to escape. He needs to get back to his family- and it will all be okay. Not being one to sit idly by, Dipper tries to think of a plan to get out of his imprisonment without relying on his magic- and the only thing he can come up with is muscling his way through it. It might not be his brightest plan, but he needs to at least do something.

Before Dipper can go through with his unstructured plan of lifting up the heavy ball and chain to limp his way towards the exit, he hears the shift of the curtains. Dipper freezes in his place, as he locks eyes with the soldier that has entered. The man smiles at him. “Glad to see you're finally awake, brat.”

The soldier takes a step towards him and Dipper growls, “Stay away from me!” The soldier does not heed his words, approaching him without a single falter in his step. “I said, ‘Stay away!’” Dipper repeats, trying to back away from the man, but his stupid body refuses to cooperate with him. “What do you even want from me? Where is my family?” He asks, trying not to let his desperation show in his voice, but clearly failing. “Answer me, damn it!”

The soldier just continues to smile at his outburst and walk towards him, not answering any of his questions. Once in range, the man tries to grabs his arm, but Dipper yanks it away. Being as stubborn as the rest of his family, Dipper struggles to the best of his ability. The man tries to grab him again, but Dipper kicks and flails- at one point almost biting. Dipper just refuses to let the man complete his task without struggling a bit. In the end, it is not much of a fight- considering that Dipper only manages to land a couple of hits and the man does not hit him in return. Huffing, the soldier gives up trying to grab him, instead, he picks up the ball and chain attached to Dipper’s ankle and roughly pulls it. Not being ready for the harsh movement, Dipper’s falls back, head colliding against the floor. He goes limp, as the man drags him along, across the floor, by simply carrying the heavy metallic ball and chain with one hand.

In his disoriented state, Dipper cannot even struggle as the man suddenly decides to lift him up and carry him under his arm. Dipper does not even have a chance to complain about the harsh treatment, before he has to clench his eyes shut, as the brightness of the outdoors attacks his eyes. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust but once he finally manages to open them, he is greeted by a whole field covered by tents. His eyes widen as he sees the amount of soldiers all around him, all of them stopping what they are doing to stare at him. As his attention moves from face to face, he notices there are mixed feelings decorating the faces of the soldiers: some are glaring at him like he is the lowest of creatures, others are clearly confused by his mere presence- and then, there are others that are leering at him, making his skin crawl with disgust.

“I think it would be best for you to keep your mouth shut, your highness,” The man recommends, before moving forward into the sea of warriors- all of them stepping away from the pair, but not looking away. “The soldiers here will not hold back in the slightest. They’ll rip out those pretty eyeballs of yours.”

Dipper takes the advice, shuddering. He knows that he needs to wait for his opportunity to escape. There is no possible way for him to get out of this situation unharmed if he starts to act up. He has no magic, and he doubts he could make it more than a couple steps away with his fevered body. He barely even registers the fact that they know of his status. He does not know if that is a good thing or not, since it could help him bargain his way out of his predicament or make him out to be a bigger prize for these demons. Keeping quiet and holding back all of the questions storming around his head, Dipper decides to strain his neck to look at his surroundings. Knowing that if he manages to escape out of this predicament alive and get back to his family, then his observations might help his kingdom salvage the war.

From his position, Dipper sees the rest of the camp. Some of the soldiers are sitting around the fires cooking their large kills and drinking. The animals that they have hunted mostly being some large game, probably caught from the nearby forest… Dipper heart drops at the revelation- they have been hunting in the forest where all of the magical creatures, his friends, live. His head shoots all over the place, trying to see if they have caught any of the magical creatures. After spotting nothing but large deer and boar, Dipper sags his shoulder a little bit. The magical creatures are probably still okay- at least they are not being roasted over one of the unruly flames in the camp.

When Dipper sees the soldiers not even bothering to have their meat fully cooked, Dipper nearly pukes. The soldiers are just biting into their kills savagely, blood spewing onto their lips from the rawness of it, before passing it to the person next to them. Dipper doubts that they have even washed their hands before handling their food. As he looks away from one disgusting sight, he is greeted by another- a woman skinning dead animals. Dipper cannot even count how many skinned animals are hanging upside on the pole, and he wonders how many people are actually at the camp because all of the meat in the camp could feed an entire town- but none of the meat seems to be going to waste, since each and every soldier is stuffing their face with no restraint.

As they continue moving, Dipper sneaks a glance at the man carrying him, noticing many injuries on him- but the old burn marks on his face and shoulders are what catch his attention. He wonders how he got those burn marks, seeing as he has seen them on other soldiers in the camp. Instead of voicing his thoughts, he bites his tongue- looking away as the man suddenly catches him staring. His attention quickly shifts towards the sound of swords clashing. He spots the place where there are a bunch of soldiers training with each other- or at least he thinks they are training, but they lack any of the restraint and order that the soldiers of his kingdom posses. Instead, they are rolling around in the dirt, attacking and actually injuring one another, as if they were in real battle... And they are all smiling, despite being bloodied and bruised.

The chaos seems to be a predominant aspect of in the training ground since everyone seems to be fighting- and to Dipper’s surprise, none of that chaos reaches them. The man carrying him just seems to shoot the others a look to keep them all away, but it does not stop the threatening gestures and vulgar comments. If anything he feels like the man holds him closer, as they walk through the training ground filled with wrathful soldiers. In response, Dipper tries to make himself as small as possible, as they continue through the section of the camp. All of the looks he catches are from those who seem tempted to take him into their possession, despite him being in the man’s hold.

After a while, Dipper soon realizes that there is some organization in the camps since they have entered the first aid section of the encampment, where there are plenty of injured soldiers. He guesses that there are so many injured soldiers, due to the battle against his kingdom- but there is a chilling fear that if there are these many here, then who knows how many people have been injured in his kingdom. However, most of the people in the area are just sitting around, gambling or drinking in the corner instead of actively looking over their patients. It should not bother him, but the amount of laziness displayed does. Looking closely, he sees that only one person is in charge of all the patients, and the rest of them are just loitering.

The further into the encampment they travel, the less amount of people there are around them. Dipper is almost thankful for the silence- the rowdy soldiers giving him a headache. Catching some random movement from the corner of his eye, Dipper turns his head and notices two feminine figures, partially hidden by the side of a tent- and he nearly has a heart attack. One of the female soldiers is in the nude, her armor scattered on the floor. She has her back against the side of the tent, head tilted back in ecstasy. Her eyes clenched shut, as she covers her mouth to stop the sounds from spewing out, while her other hand fondles her own breasts. The other woman kneels in front of her, lifting one of her legs to have a better position in between them. The wet slurping noise and her fingers repeatedly thrusting, being a clear indicator of their actions.

Dipper hastily turns away from the obscene sight, turning a bright red. He nearly chokes on his own spit, coughing a bit- but he does not know what to do other than be completely baffled. They are out in the open, where anyone can spot them- do they not have any shame.

The man holding him notices his flustered state, before catching sight of the two woman. When Dipper feels the rumbling of the man’s laughter- a booming and deep sort of laughter- he is surprised by the man’s flippant attitude. “What’s wrong, kid? I thought you people were really into the whole exhibition thing.”

Dipper bristles at the statement. “That’s different,” He defends, but he does not elaborate any further. He knows that there is no possible way that an outsider will ever understand his kingdom’s customs- and he feels too drained to even argue. Dipper goes limp in the man’s hold, watching the floor move past his eyes- not wanting to catch any more uncomfortable sights. He has probably gathered more than enough information about the camp- and maybe more than necessary.

There is another wave of silence that drags over them, in which Dipper is tempted to just ask the man where he is taking him- but his fear of finding out his fate impedes him from asking. There is that underlying fear that suddenly resurfaces, his nerves all frazzled- and he does not even know how he has managed to keep himself from completely breaking down. He has almost died, multiple times. He has been stripped down of all of his magic- not knowing if he will ever be able to perform another spell again. He does not even know if he will ever see his family again, if his kingdom even stands. He has absolutely no idea how much time he has spent passed out in the enemy’s hold.

Caught up in his own thoughts, Dipper does not realize that they have arrived at their destination until the fabric of the tent’s entrance brushes against his face. Before he can inspect his surroundings, he yelps, as he is unceremoniously dropped onto the floor- the ball and chain crashing next to him, a few seconds later. Dipper looks up to glare at the man, but he is caught by surprise when his captor bends a knee and bows his head. He is stumped, but it does not take long for Dipper to find the reason to why the man is kneeling and his heart stops. All around him, there are intimidating full-fledged warriors looking down at him.

Dipper’s attention moves from one of them to the next, noticing some familiar faces- the woman that teleported him to the battlefield, and the man with all of his teeth exposed. Dipper is almost compelled to look down at the floor, due to the intimidating faces all around him, but he refuses to look weak. The pitched tent is larger than his imprisonment; holding many golden artifacts, including the pillows being used as seats, which are all set in a half circle, and a huge battle map on the floor. It is clear to Dipper that they have been discussing battle strategies, and by the frustrated look on their faces- it means that they still have not found a way to win this war against his kingdom. Dipper almost smiles triumphantly, until he recognizes the man, a handsome man with golden hair and sun-kissed skin, sitting dead in the center… The man from the forest.

There is a sudden tightness in his chest, as he realizes that he did not hallucinate the blond on the battlefield- that the man who he has been trading letters with, sharing information and secrets with on a daily basis- is an enemy. He rips his gaze away not being able to stomach his own stupidity at being so trusting, for ignoring his great-uncle Ford’s advice to never trust anyone. He cannot even believe that he has allowed himself to fall into the temptation just because the mage has been his gateway to knowledge. The memory of seeing the blond on the battlefield has been a major point that he has been trying to dismiss- but there is no denying it now with the man sitting in front of him, clad in his golden armor and with a smile on his face. He no longer has six arms, cluing him in on the fact that quite a bit of time has passed since the battle. The only signs of his over-exertions being the gold that seems to have been melted on his skin, running like small rivers down his arms.

As Dipper turns away and tries to focus on anything but the blond mage, the rest of the people in the room look at him like an exotic animal behind bars. The scrutinizing looks make him feel like he is being dissected with their eyes- all of them sizing him up. The fragile state of the room is broken when the woman, who still has dark bruises around her neck where Dipper’s spell almost choked the life out of her, stomps towards him. She moves so fast that by the time Dipper blinks, she has already grabbed him by the arm, lifting him up to his tiptoes so they are face to face. “You little shit,” She snarls at him, lifting up a fist. “I’ll fucking kill you!”

Dipper flinches, expecting a hit and then several more- along with his premature death. He expects to hear cheering mixed into the sound of his beating, considering these savages’ fascination with violence...but nothing happens. After a second, Dipper’s curiosity wins out and he opens his eyes to see the woman frozen in place- a blue sort of magical mist wrapping around her body, keeping her from her delivering the hit. Dipper follows the trail of the blue mist, noticing it originate from the blond mage behind her. Despite the woman’s outburst and everyone in the room staring at him confusedly, the man continues to smile unbothered. The man at the blond’s side- the one with all of his teeth exposed- bends down to whisper into his ear, but the blond just lifts up his free hand to stop him.

“Everyone, out!” The man orders and everyone obeys instantly- except for the woman and Dipper.

After the last person scrambles out of the tent, Dipper is dropped onto the floor, hitting his injured back again. He whimpers, as the pain reignites along his spine- but he is quickly distracted from it when he feels the room dramatically drop in temperature. The entire area feels like it has just dropped into the negatives, and he has no idea if it is just his own imagination- but it is so cold that it seems to freeze over his fevered body. The man stands up, walking slowly towards the frozen woman, who continues to look forward, scared- terrified out of her mind. The man takes his time walking towards her, each step causing the woman to tremble even more. Dipper can see the sweat starting to gather above her brow, despite the temperature- and the fear radiating from her almost feels infectious because he can feel his throat close up and his legs begging him to run away.

Within moments, the man stands behind her, just out of her line of vision. His face no longer holding any sort of mirth, as he cages the woman in with his overwhelming, powerful magic. “Let me make myself clear,” The man begins, his lips ghosting over her ear. “ _If you ever do something that stupid again, I’ll rip you from limb to limb, and keep you alive throughout_.” He lets out a twisted laugh, his voice having a distorted quality to it that makes Dipper’s blood run cold, despite it not being directed towards him. “ _And that would only be the beginning of the fun! Remember what I did to those bastards in the northwest?_ ” He asks, waiting for the woman’s affirmation, which takes a heartbeat. The woman paling as she recalls the events, before nodding. “ _Believe me, when I say, that I’ll make it three times as worse for you. You should never doubt how creative I can be because flaying people alive is just child’s play. Do you understand?_ ”

“Y-yes, Cipher” The woman manages, despite looking like she is ready to wet herself. She almost looks nothing like the terrifying figure, who had beaten the crap out of him in the battlefield.

There is a long moment of silence- one that seems to suffocate the woman just as much as Dipper. The man almost revealing in their discomfort and fear.

“Alrighty then,” The man says, losing the scary quality to his voice and regaining his smile. “You’re free to go!” The blond claps his hands together, releasing the woman from his magical hold. He chuckles, as the woman almost falls over due to her shaking knees- but without needing to be told twice, the woman practically runs out of the tent.

Once the woman flees, the man automatically turns his attention towards him- his cerulean eye meeting his chocolate-colored ones like all those weeks ago. “Well, well, well, Pine Tree, I must say, it’s very nice seeing you on the side of the living!” The man announces happily as if he did not just threaten to kill one of his own subjects. “Most people would have just keeled over, after using that much magic. But not you!” The man praises, bending down to pinch his cheek. “I knew you caught my eye for a good reason, kid!”

Dipper glares up at the man, having half a mind to just punch the smug look off his face- but after having a front row seat to the terrifying display of power, he decides to play it safe and not engage in a fight that he will surely lose. Instead, he just stays quiet and pulls away from the man’s hold, switching his attention to the intricate, abstract patterns on the rug. Dipper does not know what else the man expects from him. He does not know how to address the man anymore. He is his enemy, who has kidnapped him and almost killed his uncles, his citizens, and even him. There is nothing for him to say- all of those weeks of trading letters just being a huge mistake. Dipper feels so stupid. He should have never opened that letter, never allowed himself to blindly trust someone- Now, he feels so exposed in front of the blond.  
  
After Dipper’s prolonged silence, the blond bends down and carefully places a hand underneath Dipper’s chin to lift his head- but regardless of the action, Dipper still refuses to even look in his general direction. It makes the man let out a dramatic sigh. “C’mon, kid, what’s wrong?” The man asks, inspecting him from head to toe. “Does something hurt? Do you have a headache?” He continues seemingly concerned before a toothy grin emerges on his face. “Need me to kiss it better?” He offers huskily, managing to shock Dipper into looking at him. While Dipper stares at the man wide eyed, the blond is suddenly too busy, looking at Dipper’s lips hungrily, to even notice his reaction.

Dipper watches as the man absentmindedly licks his lips, like a hungry predator ready to devour its meal- and it sends a small spark down his spine. He cannot help but let his attention zero in on the man’s lips as well. He holds his breath, as the man slowly leans towards him, his warm breath fanning against his lips. Dipper can feel the blood rush to his face, as he briefly remembers the feeling of the man’s lips against his own. He thought it had all been part of a dream, but just like everything else from the evening it is not- the kiss has been just as real as the war. The man stops centimeters from his face, waiting for Dipper to close the remaining distance with a smug look on his face- and the look is what reignites the spark of anger. The man just wants to toy with him- none of his advances are sincere, he reminds himself, the man just wants to bother him.

Dipper snaps out of the small trance, shaking his head and dislodging himself from the man’s loose hold. He leans back, catching himself on his arm, as he glares at the man with as much hatred he can- but the blond only looks at him with a poker face. Dipper opens his mouth to admonish him for his stupid advances, but he notices the man’s smile on the brink of returning- and he realizes that he is walking right into the man’s trap. The blond wants to get a response from him by simply riling him up- just like a child. Instead of giving him what he wants, Dipper closes his mouth and turns away, looking at the tapestries hanging on the wall- ignoring him.

“What?! You seriously have nothing to say?” The man laughs, using the happy gesture to mask his disappointment. He takes a seat next to Dipper, resting his chin on his hand, pretending to examine the tapestry with him. “I guess the whole shock of the situation is a bit much for your faint heart, isn’t it?” He teases, tilting his head to the side while acting unbothered by Dipper’s refusal to speak- but Dipper notices a small eye twitch when he sneaks a look at the man. “Oh, Pine tree, don’t be so boring!” The blond- practically- whines, after another span of silence, draping an arm over Dipper’s tense shoulders. “You’re almost getting on the same level as those mouth-breathing aristocrats.” He pulls Dipper closer, before whispering into his ear. “But I guess, those are your people, aren’t they, _Prince of Gravity Falls, Dipper Pines?_

Dipper snaps at the man’s tone, pulling away. “You bastard,” he spits out, “how long have you known?”

The man keeps his composure at Dipper’s attitude, simply grinning at the fact that he got him to speak. “To tell you the truth, I haven’t known for very long.” The man pokes his own cheek a couple of times in thought while pursing his lips. “Let’s see, I didn't put all the puzzle pieces together until I saw you on the battlefield- all bloodied and cute- that I finally recognized the family resemblance between you and those two old farts.”

Dipper straightens at the insult- ready to defend his great-uncle's’ honor. “Don’t you dare speak about my-”

“Plus,” The man continues, ignoring Dipper's interruption with a simple wave of the hand. “Even a monkey with half a brain could recognize the magical likeness between poindexter and you.”

“So when we met?” Dipper ventures, lifting an eyebrow.

“I thought you were a little nobody.”

Dipper nods, looking over the man’s face to find any signs of him lying. After finding none, he feels the small knot in his stomach unwind a little bit. At least, the man did not use him for his position- unlike the million of others, especially the aristocrats, who have all posed as his friend to get something out of him. All of them orchestrating elaborate plans to get close to him, but it seems like the encounter in the woods really was just an unforeseen twist of fate. No matter how Dipper looks at it, the man had nothing to gain from their encounter, but Dipper did- the man’s odd fascination with him probably being the whole reason that he is still alive even after foiling their conquest. Dipper licks his chapped lips, not even bothering to ask what the man was doing that day in the forest, assuming that he had been there to scout the area- and he does not want to waste time confirming what he already knows.

As Dipper continues to mull over some things mentally, the man springs to his feet and stands proudly in front of him. “Anything else you want to ask, kiddo? You're missing out on a pretty vital question.” He says, pressing a finger to his cheek and winking. “Not knowing must be killing you. Go on, ask away!”

Dipper does not even hesitate. “How is my kingdom?”

The man seems taken aback by the response for a second, but he quickly shrugs it off. “Not exactly the question I had in mind, but I guess I’ll humor you. Just because I like you.” The man clears his throat, before gesturing towards the golden representation of the war in the middle of the room. “You see, despite my viciously, strong warriors and, let’s admit, my superior intellect, your little kingdom still refuses to fall in line with the rest of those simpletons.”

The man uses his magic to make the little figurine in the shape of a pine-trees and triangles move across the board, reenacting the war. There is even a miniature tornado of fire and vines at one point, before disintegrating. The blond glares at the board, his eyes flashing a bloody red, as all the pine-tree figurines move behind the safety of the castle- and Dipper interprets the blue haze that emerges as the magical barrier. Dipper lets a small smile grace his lips because that means that his people, his family are still safe. They are probably recouping for their next attack, trying to find a way to end this war that has come to a dead halt for the time being. If anything, it seems to have stumped the enemy so far.

“And your little resistance is only possible because of you mages. It’s sort of funny, really- in every other place that we’ve been- those freaks are the first ones to flee, but your mages are actually fighting for the kingdom that imprisons them.” The man refocuses his attention fully on Dipper, tilting his head to the side. “Care to tell me why, Pine Tree? I know lots of things, but this stupid conundrum isn’t one of them. Loyalty to their imprisoners? Now, that’s one hell of a manipulation method and in such a massive scale too!” He appraises, whistling in amazement.

“You're sick.” Dipper hisses. “They’re just loyal to their family, and our kingdom is their home.” He defends, before shrinking, when he sees the man’s unconvinced face- the simple look making him feel stupid. “Yes.” Dipper sighs out, “They have to live in close quarters, but they’re taken care of, and allowed to spend time with their families, and they can have anything they ask for- toys, books, knowledge, money…” Dipper continues almost frantically, feeling like a parrot for repeating the words that he has been told since a young age. He can feel his stomach twist, as the words- the lies- leave his mouth. Knowing deep down inside that the man is not totally off the mark with his speculation- he has had the same thoughts himself a couple of times, but he cannot stop his traitorous ramblings- trying to convince himself still that the words are true. “The mages can have anything they want-”

“Except their freedom.” the man interrupts, “They can have all those material things, as long as they do as they are told- but they don’t even have a right to choose their own life.” The man crouches down to be at eye-level with Dipper. When Dipper tries to turn away from him out of shame, knowing that in some level the blond is right, the man uses his magic to stop him. “You see, at least I can admit that I am bad, Pine Tree.” He says almost proudly, placing a hand on his chest. “But you, smart, little saplings like you,” He pokes Dipper’s nose with every word, “can always find some sort of justification for every single one of your actions- a way to keep your hands clean, to always be the good guy,” he pauses, a twisted smile emerging on his face. “Despite being a monster like me,” He moves his hands to cup Dipper’s cheeks, releasing him from his magic, but pinning him down with his knowing eye. “and well, that sort of depravity holds a very different sorta beauty in my eyes.“ The man breathes out almost fondly, caressing Dipper’s cheek with his thumb.

“You’re right.” Dipper whispers, shocking the man in front of him. ”I've always known it to be wrong,” He bites his bottom lip, feeling a weight being lifted off his shoulders at finally saying it out loud. He has always known it to be wrong, but to say such a thing out loud would have been blasphemy. How could he have ever said out loud that his kingdom is no better than the ones enslaving their mages? They are supposed to be the best of the best, and to admit otherwise would almost sinful- but it is true. They are just as bad as the worst of them. And he has always known it. “But, I was going to change it.” Dipper admits, feeling the words rush out of his mouth, “I just needed some time. I-I was going to liberate-“

The man’s laughs, cutting Dipper’s admission short. “Sure you were, kid.” The man says completely unconvinced. “Why would you fix something that's not broken for the ones in charge?” The blond shakes his head, smile dropping. “Don't pretend to care about them, Pine Tree. You’re a horrible liar-”

“I was going to change it,” Dipper repeats with finality in his voice, locking eyes with the man.

The man freezes, scanning over his features- searching for any signs of lying- before looking away. “Your family is fine, by the by.” He picks up a sheet of paper near his golden seat- and Dipper immediately recognizes his uncle's seal on the corner of the page. “They sent a letter this morning from behind their walls. They have agreed to negotiate with ‘my kind’ in exchange for their beloved prince.” The man scoffs, crumpling up the paper, before throwing it over his shoulder. “Those idiots, I’ve given them my terms, over and over again. They either surrender peacefully or I’ll blockade the entire castle and wait for them to drop like flies until they submit.”

“That will never work, you know,” Dipper says pridefully- almost sneering at the man. The man’s complete refusal to even negotiate, sparking his anger once again- and it seems that the man has a knack for it. “Everyone would rather die than serve anyone other than a Pines. My family has ruled over the lands for generations and that’s not going to change anytime soon. The mages are not the only ones loyal to their kingdom.”

“Aw. How cute, you actually believe that.” The man coos, spinning on his heels and plopping into his seat. “But here’s the reality of the situation: It will only be a matter of time, Pine Tree. Once the fear sets in, then your people will all start turning against each other. And my army will be here when it happens.” The blond crosses his legs, cupping his chin with his hand. “We’ve got all the time in the world. You guys can lock yourselves in your high towers- even pour boiling oil on us- but we will be there until the end. We’ve been playing this game for a while, kid.”

Dipper gnaws at his bottom lip at the man’s words, knowing that dragging out the war would benefit no one. He knows about the provisions that they have in their kingdoms, he knows how long they can last within their walls- but the man’s soldiers might be able to hold out just as long. If anything, Dipper knows that the only ones that will truly suffer are the magical creatures in the forest, where the soldiers are rapaciously hunting till no end. There will just be an endless cycle of death and vengeance until the whole ordeal is solved. There needs to be a better way than just entering a war of attrition, but the man does not even want to listen to the negotiations- but maybe he will be willing to listen to him… he just needs to play his cards right.

Dipper rolls over different ideas in his mind desperately, trying to find a way to end this peacefully. His head shoots up, as he finally has an epiphany. “There’s a different way to win this war, you know.” He says with a steady voice. “One that doesn’t involve any more death on either side.”

“What?” The man asks, clearly speculative. “I surrender? If you haven’t realized yet, kid, I’m winning. You're the ones against the ropes.”

“No. You’re not winning.” Dipper corrects quickly, trying to find a good way to word things so he can make the deal as enticing as he can. He needs to make the man want this deal so he can convince his higher-ups. He needs to speak these savage’s language- money. “Gravity Falls is the gateway to all of the trading, both on land and sea. We’re the most prosperous kingdom in all of the lands- thanks to my Great-Uncle’s years of hustling. Our kingdom falls, and all of the arrangements that we have made with the other nations will crumble- and you will benefit very little from our legendary wealth.” He informs, barely being civil with his words. “You’ll barely see a glimpse of it- once you squander whatever you find.”

The man clicks his tongue, pretending to be uninterested- but Dipper can tell that he is, by the way, that he seems to hang onto his every word. “Hey, if that old con man of a king did it, then I’m pretty sure I have more than enough brains to accomplish it too.” He brags, eyes flashing red with his next words. “Don’t. Underestimate. me. Kid.”

Dipper gulps at the man’s short show of his temper, but he knows that he needs to keep going. He licks his lips nervously, nodding. “That’s true. you might be able to do it, but it’ll take time. Maybe a whole lifetime, if you take us down. And that is if you accomplish it” Dipper notices the man narrow his eye minutely, and he mentally cheers knowing that he is going in the right direction. He needs to convince the man that he needs to listen to him- he has shown that he can go up against him toe-to-toe in a battle of wits.

From all of the things that he has observed on his way to the tent, Dipper knows without a doubt in his mind that he will hit the mark straight on. “The longer this war goes on, the less of a hold you will have. You don't exactly seem to have the most patient group of people on your side, and well, with one slip up we’ll take full advantage of it. You can boast however long you want about your military strength, but your shock and awe form of attack- that you’ve heavily relied on- has already failed, so what else do you have left up to your sleeve?” Dipper asks cockily, faking his confidence. “I doubt you’ll be able to win this war of attrition. The truth of the situation is that we’re equally matched- and no one is going to win this war anytime soon… Unless you listen to my proposal.”

There is a brief moment, where Dipper thinks that the man might just set him on fire- thinking that he may have pushed it too far, but he knows that he really needed to really sell his case. The man might not have listened to him at all, seeing that they have mutilated anyone else that proposes a strictly diplomatic stance. Hopefully, his bargain pays off.

Before Dipper can finish off his last silent prayer, the man speaks. “Alright. I’m all ears, Pine Tree.”

Dipper lets out a sigh of relief. He quickly clears his throat, knowing that he has another hurdle to cross- to convince the man to accept his proposal. “I suggest we bring our two countries together,” he says, piquing the man’s interest. “Gravity Falls will pay your empire a tribute, but we’ll keep our kingdom’s sovereignty- you won't be placing any of your generals to rule over us, and no military occupation. We’ll just pay you what is due. That way our countries will both benefit. No more need for war, and no more pointless deaths.”

“Interesting, very interesting.” The man says, tapping his fingers against his knee. “But as you have so kindly pointed out, your loyal citizens will not submit to anyone other than your family. I doubt that they will respect a measly piece of paper joining us together.” The man gets back to his feet, making his way past him and towards the exit- almost completely dismissing him. “I’m not an idiot, kid, you’ve gotta give me something better than that. For the meantime, I’m going to stick with my plan: Gravity Falls takes my offer to submit to me, or my army will really have their share of fun.”

Just as the man is about to make his exit, Dipper rattles his mind for something- anything that would be good enough. The moment the man takes a step outside, Dipper yells the first thing that comes into his mind. “Then, why not, a marriage!” He heaves, as he sees the man stop mid-step, turning towards him again. “No one will be able to go against it, they will all respect it. A physical representation of our two kingdoms coming together.” He clenches his eyes shut, hating the next words exiting his mouth. “M-my twin sister is of marrying age, she’ll be a perfect bride and be able to produce a proper heir.” He finishes, hating that he has to drag her into this, but producing an heir is a vital part in sealing this sort of diplomatic act.

“And what about you?” The man asks.

“I’ll relinquish my right to the throne,” Dipper says, dropping his head in shame. He can almost literally feel his self-hatred bubbling in his chest for sealing Mabel to such a fate. He wishes he could have thought of something different, that he could have kept his mouth shut, but he know it might be the best way to avoid the war- all for the sake of the kingdom. Too consumed by his self-loathing, Dipper does not even see the look the man shoots his way, or hear him walk out of the tent to attend to some other business.

Dipper curls up in his spot, staring blankly at the different patterns weaved through the rugs and tapestries in the tent. He tries to remember exactly where he has seen the patterns, knowing that he has read it in a book. The longer he stares at the lines, the more he starts to see little figurines and images weaved into it- and then he recalls that these types of fabrics are from the south. He remembers his Great-Uncle Stan telling him about the way that the dead are wrapped in these intricate fabrics there and that the heat there is so intense that they are eventually mummified in them- preserved for the coming years.

It is not until a plate of food appears in front of him that Dipper realizes that he is starving- and he wastes no time devouring it. After satisfying his stomach’s needs, Dipper loses track of time. Alone inside of a pitched tent, all he can do is wonder about the consequences of opening his big mouth- the fact that he has condemned his own sister to a marriage with an emperor that he has not met himself. He tries to think of a way that he can possibly correct it- but he comes up with nothing. He wonders if the man will even go for his proposal or stick with his plan- and he wonders where he falls in the spectrum.

After a while, the man, who carried him through the encampment, enters the room. “Let’s get going, brat. Your family is expecting you,” he informs, as he magically unlocks the restraint around his ankle with ease. Dipper cannot even ask him to remove the magical block on his side before the man grabs him firmly by the arm and teleports them- there is a blue mist that covers his eyes and his stomach does flips through the entirety of the trip. By the time he opens his eyes, Dipper takes in the sight of the castle walls, which are covered by a magical barrier. Feet away from him, Dipper also sees the man with golden hair, who only spares him a single look. Instead, just like the rest of the small group in the field, he watches as the barrier slowly begins to fall, giving them a small opening to enter.

Dipper winces a bit, his injured bare feet burning with every step that he takes, but he muscles through it- he wants to see his family again. As they all begin to file in, the soldier having a strong hold on him- Dipper catches some familiar faces in the courtyard, as they walk towards the palace. He keeps his head high, despite the pain and his position, refusing to look weak in front of his people. Dipper cannot even begin to remember the path to the castle being such a lengthy journey, but everything seems to be prolonged at the moment- from every step to every breath. Dipper cannot even start to count his lucky stars, as they finally reach the inside of the palace, feeling like he is on the brink of collapsing were it not for the man’s stronghold on him.

Entering through the momentous doors, Dipper lets his composure fall. From the moment that Dipper enters royal hall filled with colossal columns, he catches sight of his family and some of his friends. They are all standing at the end of the hall, all of their faces having some signs of weariness from the battle and managing all the citizens. Soos and Wendy are framing his family, both of them, keeping their eyes on the enemies- while shooting looks towards the shadows, making sure that no one has sneaked in. There is a small moment of relief that decorates their faces, as they spot Dipper amidst the crowd- his great-uncle Ford and Stan, both untensing a little bit; while Mabel finally smiles, as their eyes lock.

Dipper feels his heart flutter when he sees Mabel try to step towards him- probably tempted to run and take him into her arms- despite the threat of the enemy, but thankfully she is held back by Stan. She has never been one to really think about the consequences- but Dipper has the same temptation, the joy of seeing that she is fine consuming him. Before Dipper can smile back at Mabel, he quickly remembers about what he has said- what he has offered- and he looks down in shame, knowing that he does not even deserve to take comfort in his sister’s concern. Once they make it to the front of the stairs, where his family is standing, the man holding him pulls a knife out and places it to his throat- forcing him to face his family.

At the motion, everyone is placed on edge- Wendy and Soos pulling out their swords, Mabel almost pulling out of Stan’s hold to beat the crap out of the man, while Stan and Ford just glare at the blond. Murder written all over their faces barely even phases the blond, who waves them off. “Don’t worry, no one does anything stupid and the kid keeps his throat intact.” He claps his hands together, rubbing them. “Well, there’s no point in delaying the inevitable- so let’s rip out this bandage off already. It’s about time we get this party started, don’t you think, Stanley?”

Stan simply grunts, before motioning him to follow him out of the hallway. Soos and Ford shadow Stan out of the room, and the man with all of his teeth exposed is about to follow after the blond, but the blond motions for him to stay behind. “I can handle myself, Teeth. Stay here and make sure none of them get into too much trouble.” Before he completely disappears into a different hall, the blond peaks his head out of the corner. “Play nice, kids”

Dipper does not know how long the uncomfortable situation lasts. He can hardly even move, the man’s steady hand keeping the knife right on his throat. His sister and Wendy, glaring at the group in front of them- Wendy standing slightly in front of Mabel to cover her. Mabel meets his eyes a couple of times, almost telepathically asking him what is wrong- and if he could convey it all with a simple look he would, but all he can do is try to say sorry. It makes his sister raise an eyebrow at him. The only actual conversation in the room being the vulgar comment that the enemy soldiers are tossing around- until Teeth hisses at them to be quiet.

The tension in the room does not dissipate until the sound of steps breaks through the room. From the moment that the blond is within sight, he motions for the knife to be removed from his throat. Dipper sees his great-uncles walking silently behind him, looking more disgruntled than when they first left- and Dipper wonders what exactly happened to sour their mood even further until his heart stops in his chest: Having to agree to give up their grand niece to a savage would probably burden them. Although, Dipper is caught by surprise, when the man approaches him, pulling him into his arms. Dipper barely holds back an unmanly squeak, when the blond wraps his arm around his waist.

“Well then, Pine Tree, congratulations on ending this war. This is one for the history books!” The man laughs, his words shocking everyone in the room- even his own soldiers. All of them turning their heads to the one at their side, checking that they are not the only ones that do not get what the man has just announced.

The only thing that Dipper can get to exit his mouth being an unintelligible: “What?”

“Say hello to your new fiance, the one and only, Bill Cipher, emperor of the Mindscape and master of the mind! We’re going to do great things together, sapling.”


	5. Familiarizing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for being a turtle! Enjoy.

Dipper speedwalks to his bedroom, desperately wanting to reach his only safe haven from the pandemonium unleashed throughout the kingdom. He avoids any of the hallways that are usually heavy with foot traffic- feeling like he might curl up and cry if he has to answer even one more question about the engagement. After everything that has happened, he just needs a moment to himself- to think, to unwind, to understand why the universe hates him so much. He just needs a break from all the questions and demands. All of the stress that the impromptu engagement has caused is quickly amounting to an intolerable amount- and he cannot handle it anymore.

The worst part of everything might not even be his own inability to shove down his constant urge to find a way out of the arrangement; Instead, it is not being able to show his discontent about any of it. He is just expected to be all smiles, despite feeling like a dagger has been plunged through his chest. After bottling up all of his gut-wrenching feelings for the past few days, Dipper feels like a powder keg about to explode. He has lost countless hours of sleep and skipped out on just as many meals. He cannot handle it anymore. He just needs to catch his breath and distance himself from all of the horrible reminders of his fate.

Rounding the corner of a hallway, Dipper internally groans as he notices a large amount of servants in the area. He keeps his head down, hoping that none of the servants will notice him- but it is all for naught. The moment he rushes past them, they all seem to magically sense his presence and perk up like meerkats checking their surroundings. Once their eyes finally land on him, as if on instinct, they all flock towards him- instantly pressing him for answers. Dipper bites his tongue, barely holding back from screaming in frustration. None of the servants seem to notice his growing irritation, as they follow him to his bedroom, bombarding him with questions along the way. All of their concerns quickly becoming a convoluted mess, as they speak over each other:

“Are the rumors true, your royal highness?”

“My Prince, are you really marrying the emperor of the Mindscape and not your sister?”

“When will the wedding take place, young prince?”

“Your royal highness, will those Mindscape savages continue to me be up and about- or will they be moved to the compound, as they should be?”

“How did this all happen, my prince? Why?”

As more and more servants start to trail behind him, Dipper tries to wave them off politely- not trusting his voice to stay steady under the stress- but they all persist. It erodes the last of his thinning patience. The corners of his forced smile tugging downward with every question. Deep down inside, Dipper understands that all of the servants are just trying to sate their curiosity like he has done so many times in the past, but he cannot help the bout of irritation that hits him due to their giddiness- their overwhelming joy seems to permeate the atmosphere around them, as they ask:

“Aren’t you just _so_ excited about your wedding, your royal highness?!”

“You’re so lucky, young prince!”

“My prince, you're finally getting hitched! You couldn’t wish for anything more.”

Dipper feels his eye twitch at their comments. Not wanting to take out his anger on any of the servants, Dipper picks up his already brisk pace- hoping that the servant will get the message and leave him alone, but they are not deterred in the least. They all continue to chase after him, hassling him for answers along the way. He has half a mind to turn around and yell at them for their assumptions, for their insolence, but he restrains himself when he sees his sanctuary within reach. Having lost all shreds of patience and being too tired to remember any of his etiquette lessons, Dipper rushes into his bedroom and slams the door shut in their faces.

Dipper lets out a tired huff, standing stark still with his back pressed against the door. Sweat gathers at the back of his neck from the strenuous walk, but his mind can only celebrate the small victory of making it to his room. He clenches his eyes shut, catching his breath, as he listens to the murmurs of indignation and shock coming from the other side of the door. From the sounds of it, Dipper knows that some of the servants are probably going to tell his great-uncle Stan about the incident and get him in trouble, while others will start unkind rumors about him- but those are all issues for another time. If anything, he tells himself, it is their fault for pushing him over the edge and being overzealous. Regardless of who is to blame, Dipper decides that he will apologize later.

As Dipper hears the last of the attendants leave- in that brief moment of silence and solitude- all of the things that have happened during the past few days finally settle into his mind. The fact that he has been engaged to Bill Cipher, Emperor of the Mindscape, and leader of the demonic horde- who have terrorized numerous kingdoms and murdered countless individuals- being the dominant thought in his head.

As the frightening thought nestles into the forefront of his mind, Dipper brings his shaking hands to his face. He almost wants to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but it is all too much for him. It is too much. He slowly slides down to the floor as the gravity of the situation weighs him down. In his distress, he lets out a shuddering breath which turns into a pitiful sob midway through it. The moment the pathetic sound leaves him, Dipper covers his mouth, refusing to allow any more wretched noises from leaving his throat. He feels absolutely pathetic. Tears start to stream down his face, as he slowly comes to terms with the fact that he has been engaged to a savage, that his life will never be the same, that he will never be able to find someone he truly loves, and that his future has already been decided for him, for the sake of the kingdom- _always for the sake of the kingdom._

Dipper weakly bangs the back of his head against the wooden door, wanting to forget all about the wedding arrangements, and the piteous looks sent his way by literally anyone who crossed his path. His chest heaves with the force of his contained cries, as he wishes that he could talk to someone about all of it. But his family and friends, the core of his support, are all up to their necks with managing the kingdom: trying to bring back order and appease the citizens who still crave retribution. There are still a lot of diplomatic issues to solve, and he cannot blame them for having their hands full. He just needs to deal with his own problems by himself. He cannot afford to be weak. He just needs to get over it, for the sake of everyone’s safety and happiness.

Sitting on the floor with his knees pressed to his chest, Dipper recognizes that this might be the first time in days that he has had some time for himself- and he literally had to run away from all of his responsibilities. He briefly wonders how much longer it will be until Mabel does the same; how many more hours it will be until she bursts into his room and comforts him. Dipper almost smiles at the mental image of Mabel’s grandiose entrance- which will surely happen without a shadow of a doubt. He just wishes that he did not have to wait because he could really use someone at the moment to take his mind off the hellish situation.

As the seconds seem to crawl by, Dipper tries to imagine what Mabel would say to him, probably something along the lines of: “You’re not weak for feeling the way that you do, Dipster. You’re going through a rough patch, right now, and you have a right to feel this way. Trust me, You’ll be okay.”

The thought alone helps Dipper feel a bit better- but it does not stop the tears completely.

After a while of recollecting himself, Dipper feels the insistent need to do something other than feeling sorry for himself. He wipes away the tears still clinging to his eyelashes and smears the streaks on his cheeks, before considering his options. Usually, during his time of solitude, he would content himself with practicing magic, but with the magic block embedded onto his side that it is clearly not an option. Besides his helplessness in removing the magical block would only worsen his mood. It is just another thing that he can do nothing about; another reminder that he has absolutely no control over anything- and he just wants to focus on something else, anything else, to silence the restless thoughts tormenting him.

Dipper inspects his room for any sort of distraction- and his attention immediately gravitates towards the multiple stacks of books scattered across his bedroom floor. Dipper mentally pats himself on the back, not even knowing of a better form of escapism than to stick his nose in a quality book. Eager to take his mind off his problems, Dipper walks across the large expanse of his room and picks up a book at random, from one of the piles designated for non-magical literature. The moment that he reads the title of the book, he curses his luck. It is a romance novel, one that Mabel probably left in his room- a melodramatic fairy tale pertaining to finding one’s true love, featuring the love conquers all mindset. Definitely not something that he wants to read after being betrothed to a murderer.

Taking a deep controlled breath, Dipper sets down the book. He knows that he still has some time until Mabel demands his opinion about the romance novel- and before he has to remind Mabel to put all of her book recommendations in the appropriate Mabel designated pile, which is not that hard to miss considering all of the glitter that surrounds it. A reminiscent smile appears on Dipper’s face, as he recalls the hours his twin and he spent discussing different novels and themes. He wonders if they will ever have a chance to do it again. As the thought arises, Dipper banishes it to the recess of his brain- instead, he decides that he could use some fresh air.

Too afraid to exit his one sanctuary, Dipper settles with heading towards the balcony connected to his room. The moment he steps outside, Dipper is greeted by the breathtaking sight of the night sky. He relishes in the peaceful view, leaning against the railing and crossing his arms over the cool metal. After a moment of enjoying the mesmerizing sight, Dipper’s attention shifts towards the palace’s garden beneath him- which will never be able to compete with the untamed beauty of the magical forest around Gravity Falls. At the mere thought of the area, Dipper wishes that he could take a stroll through it, but he knows better- he’ll be attacked with questions if he even takes a step out of his room. It will only be worse if he leaves the palace grounds. He can almost hear the rumors that will spread if anyone catches him sneaking out- they would probably accuse him of trying to flee his duties.

In the end, Dipper satisfies himself with looking at the heavens, which has granted his family the right to rule over Gravity Falls for countless centuries. He revels in the tantalizing sight of the stars scattered across the dark canvas of the sky, letting his eyes skim across the different constellations. For a while, he distracts himself with recalling their names and their stories. It helps him clear his mind- and he almost feels like nothing has changed.

As Dipper’s eyes move from figure to figure, he catches sight of the cluster of stars that have been etched onto his forehead by fate. He rests his chin on the palm of his hand, as he recalls his Great-Uncle Ford telling him legends of mages with celestial marks- all of them having been said to be the strongest mages in history. Dipper always thought it had just been stories that his Great Uncle concocted to make him feel better about his birthmark- but after having researched the topic, Dipper knows that there is some truth behind the legends. There seems to be a lot of evidence to support the idea that mages with celestial marks are also blessed with its power. Regardless of the truth behind it, Dipper has to admit that his Great-Uncle’s words helped him get over his hatred of his birthmark, which he had deemed as the bane of his existence for many years.

Being so absorbed in his admiration of the sky, Dipper barely notices a flicker of movement from beneath him- but it is enough to enrapture his curiosity. Dipper’s eyes automatically shift towards the source- a group of people in the center of the garden’s rosebushes, who are almost completely hidden from view. Dipper raises an eyebrow, wondering what a group of people could be doing out in the middle of the night- and how long they have been there without him noticing. Despite the darkness and distance, from his elevated position, Dipper can see that many of them have their back towards him. From the looks of their abnormalities and clothing, Dipper recognizes that they are mages from the Mindscape. It piques his interest even further. As he continues to observe, Dipper notices that there is only one person, who is facing in his general direction, his fiance, Bill Cipher.

Catching sight of the blond, Dipper staggers back from his position. Without even realizing it, he starts to slowly back away from the edge of the balcony and inch back to the safety of his room. His eyes never leave the group beneath him, who seem to be growling at each other- and it takes second, due to his momentarily surprise, to realize that Bill has not spotted him. Instead, Bill seems entirely focused on the group in front of him- and not aware of his presence in general. Dipper pauses in his steps, taking the chance to consider his options. He could go back to his room to sulk, or he could eavesdrop on the intense conversation and learn something about the savages- more specifically he could learn something about his future husband. It will be one of the few times that he will even be able to lay eyes on Bill before their quickly approaching wedding.

The higher-ups of Gravity Falls have made it crystal clear that his marriage arrangement is not a union of love, but a purely political event. They do not want Dipper getting close to Bill under any circumstances, especially without proper supervision. None of the higher-ups are willing to risk the emperor changing his mind about the wedding arrangement- and everyone is convinced that Dipper will mess it up in some way.

In every meeting Dipper has attended about the subject, he has not had a chance to disagree. Everyone has just been bringing up past events, where his personality might have been the fundamental force that drove a handful of suitors away. It has truly been an eye-opening experience. All those years, Dipper really thought that he had been doing so well during those dates. He had always hovered near the suitors and laughed at everything they said, so he did not understand where he had gone wrong for so long. During one of those meetings, Mabel had even rated his dateability as questionable. In the end, regardless of his opinion, Dipper had been forced to agree to the higher-up's terms- but that does not mean that he is currently breaking any rules by looking at his fiance from a distance.

Looking at Bill from head to toe, Dipper has to admit that he found Bill attractive from the first moment he first laid eyes on him. He may not believe in love at first sight like his twin, but he cannot deny attraction at the first sight. As Dipper continues to stare at the blond, he finally places his finger on what Bill reminds him of- a fallen angel. A beautiful being in all sense of the word, who uses that ethereal beauty to fool and tempt even the most moral of individuals to their doom. It just serves to remind Dipper that he cannot trust someone like Bill Cipher, who has gained quite the reputation for being a demon by tormenting and slaughtering people by the thousands.

Despite everything, the most enticing part of Bill may not even be his appearance but his wits. Dipper knows, after having contended with Bill’s intelligence in their letters, that it will be a challenge to stay strong and stick to his values. Never before had he been face to face with such a worthy opposition; someone so charming, cunning, and charismatic- a truly dangerous combination. It will be a challenge to stay steadfast and never let Bill have the upper hand on him- and he knows that Bill has something up his sleeve. Some sort of reason that would explain why he chose him over Mabel.

After a while of admiring Bill’s form, Dipper realizes that the next time that he will actually speak to Bill in person will be on their wedding day- and Dipper wonders how it all go. As his mind drifts through the different events that will transpire throughout the day, he finally reaches the wedding night and blood instantly rushes to his face. Dipper wonders how he will be able to stomach the whole thing, if he will be any good at it, or if it hurts like the rumors say. He has read dozens of Mabel’s romance novels and some literature from foreign lands that tend to have more graphic descriptions of sexual activities, but that is the extent of his knowledge. The uncertainty of the situation and his lack of knowledge in the area makes his stomach flutter with an odd mixture of emotions, making his mind go rampant with questions. He wonders how it will feel to be held and...

Shaking his head and riding his mind of those indecent thoughts, Dipper refocuses on the present. His eyes widening, as he notices that Bill hardly seems to be paying attention to any of the members of his group; Instead, he is looking directly at him. Dipper cannot stop the heat that reemerges on his face, as he realizes that he has been caught red handed. The group around Bill does not notice his inattention, as they continue to argue in a language that Dipper has only read and never spoken- growling rather than actually speaking, sounding absolutely animalistic.

After regaining himself from the embarrassment of staring, Dipper sends a glare Bill’s way.

Bill responds with a smile and a wink.

Dipper rolls his eyes and decides to cut his losses. It would be a million times better to sulk in his room than to be in the presence of the individual who has ruined his tranquil and happy life. Dipper turns his back towards Bill, making a show of stomping back into his room. Once he shuts the balcony doors behind him, Dipper notices a golden rose on the floor in front of him with a note attached to it:

W idjt udilbx da xdpi wiiwyrtktylj, Fcyt Litt

Before Dipper can begin to translate the phrase, someone knocks on the door. A feminine voice breaks through the silence of the room, yelling, “Open up, Dip-Dop!”

* * *

 

Exiting another meeting, Dipper allows the rest of the attendees to rush past him- understanding that none of the higher-ups want to be in the presence of the savages any longer than necessary. During the heated meetings, it has always been the same; the Gravity Fall’s higher-ups and Mindscape’s warriors have both been at each other’s throats. Neither side being able to decide the proper way to conduct the marriage or the merge, which is understandable, considering the various differences between their customs. It has taken about two gruesome hours of pointless arguing- in which both sides have butted heads with one another and taken advantage of the other side speaking to whisper insults about them- before compromises finally began to emerge from in the room. More accurately, Bill and Dipper had been able to yell at each other from across the room to meet halfway on topics, unlike the rest of the occupants.

Dipper can still feel his heart beating rapidly after such a fast-paced exchange with Bill. During every meeting together, it has been a verbal battle- neither side wanting to completely submit to the other. Dipper has had to bite his lip multiple times throughout the discussions to prevent a smile from breaking out on his face, knowing that it would not be appropriate and he would get lectured about it by the higher-ups, who are already glaring daggers at him for simply addressing Bill. On the other hand, Bill has had no qualms about showing his joy, during the intense mental game, smiling and laughing like a maniac. The fast paced remarks being thrown back and forth between them, leaving everyone out of the conversation. Throughout every meeting, Bill has had an answer to all of Dipper’s arguments, while Dipper has had a rebuttal for Bill's remarks. In simple terms, it has been exhilarating.

Dipper sighs, deciding not to dwell on the subject any longer. He does not want his thoughts to derail on the subject of his wedding like it usually does whenever he thinks about Bill. Instead, he waits for someone to pop out of nowhere and inform him of his next scheduled appointment. After a couple of moments of waiting, Dipper takes the small opportunity of peace to look at the tapestry on the wall. It displays a war from many years ago, featuring his great uncles’ victory over an opposing faction during their youth. Dipper wonders how long it will be until one of the most recent events will emerge on the walls, but he guesses that it will not be anytime soon, considering that the court painter will have their hands full with marriage portraits.

When someone stands next to him, Dipper fully expects to be dragged off to his next appointment; Instead, nothing happens. After a second of confusion, Dipper turns his head to the side, spotting Bill Cipher, who is just standing at arm’s length away. Every single nerve in his body becomes alight with Bill’s proximity. It is the first time that he has been so close to Bill after being his captive. It is weird. He still has not gotten all of his ducks in the line, in regards to his feelings about Bill- and being so close to him, without anyone in the way, brings all of those different contradictions to his mind. Dipper shuffles on his feet, considering taking his leave- but Bill’s voice stops him.

“You know, what they’re calling us, kid?” Bill asks without being prompted. A toothy grin on his face, as he refocuses on the woven tapestry in front of him- and from the smugness radiating from him, Bill knows that he has just enraptured Dipper with one simple question. Dipper hates to admit it, but Bill knows him so well. He cannot turn down a mystery- especially one involving him.

Before Dipper can vocalize the question on the tip of his tongue, he clenches his jaw shut. The higher-ups’ words ordering him to keep away from Bill ringing in his head- and Dipper knows with certainty that he cannot allow his curiosity get the better of him again. Dipper’s rational side begs his legs to take him away- but his curiosity, his damn curiosity, wins out in the end. Dipper discretely inspects his surroundings, looking over his shoulders to look at the corridor and it’s occupants; noticing that there are still plenty of people in the hallway, but they are all busy minding their own business. After quickly weighing the pros and cons of the situation, Dipper throws them all out the window and mirrors Bill’s stance. “No. What are they saying, Cipher?”

The joy seems to spill out of Bill in waves at his response before he speaks like he has just delivered the punchline to a joke, “That we’re living proof that monsters and humans can be together, kid.”

Dipper rolls his eyes. “What does that mean?”

There is no answer. Dipper chances a glance at Bill, thinking that he might have left him standing alone but he is still there. Before Dipper can repeat his question, Bill only shoots him a side look, remaining quiet like he just expects him to guess the answer with his vague comment. It irritates him to no end. Honestly, it would not be hard to get to the bottom of it with some back and forth questioning- like a game of twenty questions... and just like that Dipper realizes Bill’s intentions. Bill is trying to start a conversation like they used to have in the letters. It almost makes Dipper want to follow along, and fall into the illusion that nothing has changed- but he can’t. Everything is so different.

To be completely honest, any other time, Dipper would be happy to indulge Bill in a game of cat and mouse for a straight answer- but he does not have time for games. The longer he stays, the higher the chance he will get caught- and just the thought of guards hovering over him every second of the day drives him insane. It would be better if he just left- even if his curiosity would pester him all day. If he obsesses enough about it, he might even come to solve the riddle.

Before Dipper can take a single step away, Bill seems to get the hint and suddenly fills in for the prolonged silence- a small pout on his face from not being able to have his fun, but it quickly turns into his signature grin. “Well, get a load of this nonsense, kid.” Bill says, loud enough for only Dipper to hear, “Everyone in this damn kingdom seems to live under the idiotic notion that you’re not magical- that you’re actually a big snore like the rest of them.” Dipper spares Bill a look, watching as Bill covers his mouth as he laughs almost uncontrollably at the mere idea. “And to top it off, all of the blabbermouths in the country are gossiping like there’s no tomorrow, saying that our little arrangement might even become the pathway for mages and your average imbecile to be together.”

Dipper stays silent, processing the information. He has hardly been paying attention to the gossip going around, but thinking back to the few times he has overheard some conversations he thinks he might have heard something of the sort- but it may also be some sort of psychological bias. The only thing that he has heard for sure from the passing whispers is that: the mindscape savages know how to fuck- but that is neither here nor there. But the thought becomes the one thing that he can concentrate on for a second. Before Dipper can dwell too much on the memories and become a flustered mess, Bill’s voice brings him out of his head.

“Can you believe it?” Bill asks, crossing his arms behind his back and rocking on his heels. “This whole fiasco might even help mages have a normal life... How freaking wonderful.” Bill states, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “Everyone will be able to have a boring ass life of their own.”

Dipper eyebrows knit together, glaring at the tapestry- not being able to direct the look at Bill. From the lack of attacks from the higher ups to incarcerate him, Dipper knows for a fact that he has not been outed by Bill. Everyone is still under the impression that he does not have any magical abilities- and it has been bothering him. Bill could have easily told on him, but he is actually doing the opposite. He is going through the trouble of keeping his warriors quiet- all for his sake. It makes their wedding even more revolutionary- since it will be the first time in centuries that a mage and a “regular person” will be legally wed; and it's true, they might revolutionize the whole way that mages are forced to live. It would help many of the mages, who have long been denied the right to wed who they loved due to their magical nature. It would prove that they can all coincide, but one thing still eludes Dipper.

Not being to help himself, Dipper asks the question plaguing him: “What’s the real reason you’re going along with the lie, Cipher? I doubt you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart- if you even have one, that is.”

“Ouch. You wound me, Pine Tree,” Bill says, placing a hand on his chest in a fake mockery of pain, before grinning like a madman. “But you’re right! I just find this whole shebang fun!” At the incredulous look Dipper shoots his way, Bill shrugs. “Sure, it might not be a war because, c’mon, there’s nothing more exhilarating than seeing the fear in your enemy’s eyes. But, it’s not every day that you get the chance to con an entire kingdom.”

Dipper stands there flabbergasted for a moment, before saying the one thing on his mind: ”Seriously, you’re just horrible.”

“Yeah, but so are you.” Bill counters almost fondly. In a split second, before Dipper can even register movement, Bill stands behind him. It catches him off guard. There is no way anyone could possibly move that fast- and Dipper almost feels stupid for not realizing sooner that Bill has used magic. He is just not used to people using magic so casually around him- and without a moment of hesitation.

Before Dipper can turn around to face Bill, he feels hands rest on his shoulders. Bill drums his fingers against Dipper’s tense shoulder, as he leans down to whisper into his ear, “Or would you like me to shout your little secret to the four winds and put an end to all of this, Pine Tree?” Bill’s warm breath fans against Dipper’s sensitive skin, causing a shiver runs down his spine- which brings a laugh from Bill’s lips. “Trust me, kid, I would be more than happy to pull the blinds off your subjects’ eyes and tell them that you- their clever, honorable, and heroic prince- are actually nothing more than a mage. I wonder how they will see you then; With eyes full of hate or disgust? Which one do you think?”

Dipper does not reply.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Bill taunts, sliding his hands downward to wrap around Dipper’s chest “We might as well have some fun, Pine Tree. We’re going to be together for quite some time.”

* * *

 

Dipper throws another book against the wall, feeling his heart plummet to the bottom of his feet. Absolutely nothing is going his way. It feels like the whole world has turned against him. For the past few days, Dipper has spent hours upon hours, trying to fruitlessly find a way to remove the magical block embedded onto his side. He has read dozens of books and studied different formulas, at every given opportunity, for that sole purpose. Despite his persistent, Dipper has found absolutely nothing about the subject- not even a single mention in any book. It is like any trace of how to remove the magical mark has been erased from the face of the earth.

Dipper flops back onto his bed, hearing some papers crinkle beneath his weight- but he does not even flinch at the noise or make any effort to move from his spot. They are all useless pages filled with irrelevant information, which has not helped him in the slightest with his endeavor. It all seems so pointless. Dipper sinks further into his bed, as he rubs his tired and irritated eyes. He momentarily cringes, when he registers some moisture on his back- and realizes that fresh ink, from the multiple notes he scribbled on the pages, stains his robe. Instead of scrambling off his spot, Dipper just groans and resigns himself to the feeling. He will deal with it later.

Taking a small break from reading, Dipper mulls over some of the facts that he read through many books. After a while, he comes to the conclusion that the majority of his findings make a lot of sense- in a sick and twisted way. It is almost transparently clear that all of the kingdoms, which have resorted to using magical blocks on their mages, are the ones responsible for destroying any evidence of how to remove them. Dipper would not put it past any of those kingdoms, or underestimate their powerful influence. It also makes sense, considering that it would not benefit those kingdoms in the slightest to liberate their strongest assets. It just makes Dipper wonder how the kingdoms have managed to channel the mage’s magic and exploit their powers with a magical block still in place- but no one in Gravity Falls seems to have the answer.

Not even his great-uncle Ford, who has dedicated a majority of his lifetime studying magic, knows anything about a method to remove magical blocks- and Dipper has never felt so much at a loss. In the end, it has always been a conundrum that plagued their kingdom. While other kingdoms have resorted to using magical blocks to keep their mages enslaved, Gravity Falls has always relied on non-magical alternatives to keep all of their mages in check. Magical blocks have never been a part of Gravity Fall’s history- and it is still a mystery to everyone within their borders of how they seem to work. Although, there have been many who have chased after that knowledge.

Dipper glares at the ceiling, unconsciously chewing on his drapery, as he tries to think of another possible book to reference. Despite all of the odds being stacked against him, Dipper refuses to give up. There is too much on the line. He cannot even imagine a life without any magic. Unfortunately, most of his personal book collection is trapped within his magical void; And he cannot even sneak into the library reserved for the imprisoned mages, like usual, to research- since the higher-ups have been keeping the mage’s center under tighter surveillance to make sure that the Mindscape mages do not influence them in the slightest.

Ever since the battle, the amount of fear-mongering that has been going around in the kingdom has nearly doubled. From the very beginning, everyone fully expected the Mindscape mages to wreak havoc in Gravity Falls, but, surprisingly enough, nothing of the sort has happened. Instead, the Mindscape mages have been civil and practicing magic like an everyday occurrence, which has caused quite an uproar on its own- horrifying, baffling, and mesmerizing those who have been sheltered from magic their entire life. There are even accounts of the mages putting on shows at the corner of streets and being model citizens- proving everyone’s expectations wrong. It has even made Dipper question if his eyes had deceived him back in their camp- because they had been anything but model citizens. Dipper cannot help but think this all some sort of ploy, but if he brings it up, then he would do nothing more than impair the chance of his people changing their mind about magic- and there are already plenty trying to seek a screw up to prevent that from ever happening.

Dipper can still clearly hear all of the higher-ups arguments about the mindscape mages in his head. Many of the higher-ups advocating for the mages to take pills to limit their magic; Others, believing that the mages should be imprisoned with the rest of the mages. But, the mindscape mage’s behavior have brought it all into question. It has even cast doubt on the way that Gravity Falls treats their own mages. The reason that the mages in Gravity falls have been contained in close quarters has been due to the non-magical citizen’s belief that mages are dangerous, that they would destroy everything in their path, that they would use their powers to subdue the part of the population without magic- but the Mindscape mages have proven all of their assumptions wrong.

Finally noticing that he is chewing on his drapery, Dipper spits it out and rubs the horrible taste off of his tongue. He sighs, before sitting up and grabbing a book at random. Not being able to help the insistent need to find a way to restore his magic, he vows that if there is no documented way in any book, then he will just need to make his own way. He just needs to make sure that he finds everything that he can about the subject.

With his newly reinvigorated motivation to find a way to remove the magical block, Dipper flips through another book. As he takes in every single word on the pages, Dipper’s finger gets caught on the edge of the paper and he gets a paper cut. “Fuck.” he hisses immediately, bringing the bleeding finger to his mouth. As the small copper taste hits his tongue, Dipper glares at the book in his lap. “I can’t take this anymore.” He mutters around the finger, childishly pounding his fist against the book in tandem with his words. “I. Hate. You. Book.”

Once his irrational anger at an inanimate object dissipates, Dipper decides to take another break. Lacking in any other alternatives, Dipper inspects the bane of his existence, the magical block tattooed on his skin. He scowls at the accursed marking, which mocks him with its very presence, before trying to summon just a little bit of magic. Like all of the other times, Dipper does not manage to summon even a spark. Instead, he is attacked by an electric pain that ignites all of his nerves. Dipper pulls at his curls in frustration, catching his breath as the pain recedes- and his eyes water due to the overwhelming frustration.

“There has to be a way to get rid of this.” He says out loud, rubbing his face. “Some sort of spell or potion. Someone should’ve already figured this out by now. But, who? Who would know about how to remove this?”

The moment that Dipper utters the words, there is a gush of wind that enters the room. All of the papers on his bed fly everywhere- and Dipper flounders, trying to stop them from hitting his face. Once the wind finally dies down, Dipper tries to firmly grasp the odd situation- and a familiar voice breaks through the chaos of the room, announcing: “I think I know a guy!”

Dipper’s jaw drops at the sight of Bill Cipher at the foot of the bed- not completely sure if his exhausted mind is playing tricks on him, or if Bill is actually in his room. After a second of staring wide-eyed at Bill, Dipper gathers his bearings and finally realizes that Bill is actually there- and his first reaction is to hiss: “What the hell are you doing here, Cipher?”

Bill’s annoying grin does not falter in the slightest, simply taking a break from inspecting Dipper’s room to focus entirely on him. “I’m here to answer your prayers, kid! Aren't ya glad!”

“Seriously?!” Dipper bites out, feeling his eye twitch. “Get out of my room.”

Bill seems taken aback by the response, probably expecting Dipper to fall over his feet at being graced by his presence. After seamlessly collecting himself, Bill raises both of his hands in front of him, motioning for Dipper to not get ahead of himself. “Well, hear me out first, Pine Tree. I...”

“No. I’ve had enough,” Dipper says, cutting Bill off for once. “I don’t care about anything you have to say, so get out.” He points at the door, glaring at Bill. He feels too tired to even be worried about the consequences- and Dipper allows his mouth to move faster than his mind, admonishing Bill for trespassing in his one sanctuary. “What makes you think that you can just waltz in here in the middle of the night without an invitation! Get out of my room!”

Bill stares at Dipper unimpressed. His single eye boring into Dipper, silently watching as Dipper catches his breath from his small tirade. After a moment of tension, Bill breaks it with a teasing tone and a smile. “Well, someone has their panties in a twist.” Bill crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against a wall- making himself comfortable. “And before I can even think of leaving, I need to clear some stuff for you.” Bill brings a finger in the air. ”First off, I clearly didn’t waltz in here, I transported myself here.”

Dipper groans at the comment, facepalming. “You know what I mean, you infuriating ass.”

“Secondly,” Bill continues as if uninterrupted, sticking a second finger in the air. “You should really get used to the idea of what’s yours is mine, kid. It won’t be long until the wedding bells are ringing”

“Shut up.” Dipper barks out, hating that Bill has brought up the one thing he has been trying to forget. “We’re still not married. I don’t have to share anything with you, yet.

“Sheesh, for someone who has a twin, you sure do have a lot of issues with sharing. How selfish.”

The comment just serves to piss Dipper off even more- after everything that he has sacrificed. Bill still has the gall to tell him that he is selfish. His fingers clench and unclench around the spine of the book in his lap, contemplating whether to throw the heavy object at Bill, but he holds himself back. “Are you seriously just here to pester me?” Dipper asks, exhaustion creeping into his voice.

“No. I’m here to spend time with my future husband,” Bill replies cheerfully, moving from his spot on the wall to sit on the edge of Dipper’s bed. At the motion, Dipper brings his knees to his chest to keep his distance from Bill. The movement goes ignored by Bill, who thankfully keeps his distance. “You see, I’ve been getting this weird sort of vibe that you’ve been avoiding me, and I’m sorta tired of stepping on eggshells around you. You’re acting like we’re strangers- and we’re far from it. So, let's break this tension! How are you, Pine Tree?”

“How am I?” Dipper asks, feeling anger bubble up in his stomach at the audacity of the question. “Look at my dark circles and ask me that again.”

Bill tilts his head to the side, scrutinizing Dipper’s face intently, looking at his dark circles- doing as Dipper rhetorically asked him to do- before a shit-eating grin emerges on his face. “How. are. you, Pine Tree?”

Dipper feels his eye twitch- again. “Fine. You really want to know. Where do I start?” Dipper growls, unwinding from his curled position- half tempted to strangle Bill. “I’ve recently been part of a traumatizing experience on a battlefield, been punched black and blue and almost decapitated.” Dipper snaps his fingers, as another thought pops into his mind. “Oh, and then I was held captive by the same group of people who tried to kill me, which was followed by my whole world being flipped upside down- but, you know what? Having to talk to you right now somehow seems to trump all of that.”

Bill whistles in amazement. “Jeez. You’ve sure been bottling that all up for some time now, haven’t ya, kid?”

Dipper stares at Bill dumbly, huffing after his short outburst. He feels like a whole load has been taken off his shoulders just by saying it all out loud. He frankly expected some ridicule for his rant, seeing as people have it so much worse than him- but Bill is just listening to him. Instead of seeping into the confusing situation, Dipper decides to get straight to the point. “What’s your game here, Cipher?”

“Oh please, there’s no game, yet,” Bill informs, laying down on the bed with his hands behind his head. “It wouldn’t be any fun. You’re like a bird with broken wings- utterly useless. You don’t even have a one in a trillion chance of winning against me without magic, Pine Tree.”

Dipper watches as Bill levitates some of his scattered papers in the air atop of him to read with a simple motion of a finger. As Bill busies himself with reading the pages, Dipper feels a sense of longing fill him- wishing that he could perform any spell with such ease. He looks away from the sight sadly, sighing. “So what do you want then, Cipher?”

“To sip on my margarita, while I watch my enemies grovel on the ground after I’ve popped their eyes clean from their sockets and sawed off their legs,” Bill replies in a heartbeat, his eye flashing red for a brief second, as he flips through the levitated papers.

Dipper's shudders at the mental image, pushing down the fear that threatens to take hold of him at Bill’s tone. The small moments of Bill showing him his true colors, reminding him of how dangerous the emperor can be- but he knows that Bill cannot hurt him if he wishes to keep the arrangement between their kingdoms. The reassurance helps him keep his voice steady, as he changes the subject. “I meant, what do you want with me, right now.” Dipper elaborates, “Why did you come here? Just to rub it in my face that you have magic and I don't?”

“Nope, quite the opposite, kid” Bill points out distractedly, levitating a quill from Dipper’s desk to scribble something on a page. “I’ve come to fix my favorite little birdie!”

Dipper lifts an eyebrow at the comment. “What do you mean?”

“Geez, I thought I made it pretty clear. Do I really have to spell everything out for you?” Bill asks, reading over the page in his hand. “I came here to remove that magical block Teeth gave you.” Dipper’s attention shoots towards Bill at the words, not completely sure if he heard right. Before he can ask him to repeat himself, Bill sets the pages down and sits up from his spot. “But, if my presence is really causing you that much pain, then I might as well leave. No sense in staying when I am clearly not wanted.”

“Wait. What? Stay!” Dipper sputters, putting a hand on Bill’s chest to stop him from leaving. “You know how to take off a magical block?”

“Sure do, kid.”  
  
“How?!”

“Well, that little bit of knowledge is my little secret, Pine Tree,” Bill says, poking Dipper’s rosy nose.

Dipper pushes his hand away, trying to not show his desperation- but the simple possibility of having his magic back makes him search his mind for any argument that could possibly convince Bill to tell him the one bit of information that he has not found in any book- and he only finds one: “What happened to what's yours is mine, Bill?”

Bill laughs loudly at the comment, before finally catching his breath. He wipes away a single tear at the corner of his eye, before he speaks, “Man, this is why I had to have you, Pine Tree. Flipping the tables when it's convenient for you. You’re a real riot.” Bill looks at him fondly, and Dipper does not know how to respond to the intense look- other than looking away. “How about instead of telling you, I show you how it's done.”

Dipper almost jumps head first into the situation, before a vital question passes his lips: “What do you want in return?”

Bill hums in contemplation. “How about I show you one spell and you show me another? And bam, it’s a fair deal!”

“Okay.” Dipper agrees, seeing no downside to the deal. “What spell do you want me to show you?”

“Remember that little cloaking spell, you’ve been keeping from me. I want that.”

“Fine.”

“Alrighty. Let’s get this party started.” Bill says, rubbing his hands together. “Show me the mark.”

Not wanting to delay the process, Dipper pulls the fabric of his clothing to the side, exposing the magical block. Bill is oddly silent as he inspects the spot, his warm hands coming into contact with Dipper’s cold skin- and Dipper has to bite back a gasp of surprise at the contact. After a moment, Bill pushes Dipper’s shoulder, signaling him to lay down on his back. Dipper follows his wordless instruction without much of a fight, wanting the mark off of him as soon as possible. Laying down on his back with Bill looming over him makes butterflies erupt in his stomach, but Dipper pushes the feeling down. Instead of focusing on Bill on top of him, Dipper keeps his eyes on the magical block on his side- and the stark contrast of Bill’s tanned hand against his pale skin.

“You know, Pine Tree,” Bill says, breaking the silence in the room, “you look really good underneath me.”

Dipper hits his shoulder without a second thought, blushing furiously. “Shut up.” he squeaks out, “Just stick to the task at hand, Bill.”

“I’m just saying, you do.” Bill laughs, not even flinching at the hit. Dipper guesses it is little more than just a light shove to Bill, who continues to smile- and Dipper sends a glare at Bill, as he continues to laugh. “Alright, alright.” Bill concedes,“No more funny business. Just make sure to stay still- and oh, and this might hurt a little bit.”

Bill snaps his fingers, summoning a knife. The close proximity of the glistening weapon makes Dipper tense, knowing that Bill could easily slit his throat within a blink of an eye. Before Dipper can even voice his concerns or shove Bill off, Bill brings the knife to the palm of his own hand and slices through the skin in one swift movement. Bill does not even flinch at the pain- and the blood slowly drips onto Dipper’s pale skin. The knife in Bill’s hand makes a swift disappearance with a flick of his wrist. While Dipper’s eyes cannot seem to detach from the vibrant, red blood that starts to drip from Bill’s clenched fist, Bill shuts his eyes shut and starts whispering something in his native tongue- almost like a prayer.

Dipper takes in the entire situation, memorizing even the smallest of movements- from the way that Bill’s eyebrows seem to crease together to the way that Bill’s blood starts to turn an electric blue after every word. After a couple of moments, Bill opens his eye and places his injured hand against the magical block on Dipper’s side. Dipper is not prepared for the heat that seems to be emanating from Bill’s hand, feeling like he has just touched a hot pan- and his hands shoot up to push at Bill’s shoulders. Bill remains steadfast, not even moving back an inch as he keeps the pressure on top of the mark.

Dipper hates the pained whimper that claws out of his throat. “It burns.”

“I know, Pine Tree, just bear with it,” Bill says, his single eye glowing.

Dipper nods, concentrating on the electric, blue blood that starts to form runes on his skin. Dipper can feel his body overheating, almost like his whole body is burning- and then, he feels a small spark of magic. He pants, feeling sweat trickle down his forehead, as he digs his nails into Bill’s shoulder. Dipper tries to concentrate on anything, but the heat- trying to understand how the spell is working. He guesses that the answer is actually quite simple- Bill is using his blood as a conduit to help his magic come out. He tries to translate the words leaving Bill’s mouth, but it is all gibberish to him. Suddenly, Bill starts to rub against the mark on his skin, and Dipper’s toes curl at the simple touch- and he realizes the spot has become extremely sensitive. Bill continues to smear the blood around the area, and it makes Dipper let out an involuntary moan. Despite the embarrassment, Dipper feels his magic breaking free. It is almost like a dam broke- overloading his senses.

As the magic finally starts to spread out throughout his body, his mind draws a blank at the sensation of magic drumming through his body all at once. While Dipper is in a daze, trying to get the pieces of his mind together, Bill lowers his head to vigorously lick the spot where the magical block used to be- which has turned a golden color and has taken on a liquefied state. Dipper groans in pleasure at the feeling, every single one of his nerves coming to life at the touch. “Your magic is so sweet, Pine Tree,” Bill says, taking a bit of the sticky substances on his fingers and placing them in front of Dipper’s lips. “Try it.”

Dipper takes a moment to look at the coated fingers, before looking at Bill’s face and back at the finger. He can hardly wrap his mind around what is being asked of him, but he concedes to parting his lips. He allows the digits to slip past his parted lips and at the amazing taste, Dipper licks the substance off. His hazy mind enjoying the flavor.

“Fuck, I can’t wait til I get to fuck you.” Bill comments, sitting up and wiping away the saliva accumulated at his chin with the back of his hand. “Anyway, there you go, kid. You’re all set.”

Dipper nods, his mind still a little foggy from his magic buzzing through him, leaving him feeling tingly.

Bill pokes the spot, where the triangle used to be embedded into his skin, and Dipper lets out another involuntary moan. “This is an erogenous zone, now, by the by.” Gathering his bearings, Dipper slaps Bill’s hand away- and Bill chuckles. “Damn. You’re so cute, Pine Tree.”

“I’m not cute,” Dipper says firmly, feeling his already flushed face becoming redder as he realizes every embarrassing thing he did in the span of a few moments. Instead of focusing on them, Dipper tries a small spell. Opening the palm of his hand, he smiles as a fire emerges. Being so absorbed in his regained ability to perform magic, he does not notice Bill looking at him. Before Bill can even think about making fun of him, Dipper snaps his fingers, making a book appear out of thin air. He lets it fall open on his lap. Before coughing into his fist, “So, it’s my turn to fulfill my part of the deal. you ready, Bill?

The sound of scurrying catches both of their attention- and they both turn their heads to spot the rat that passes on top of Dipper’s desk, which stops to face them as well. In that split second, before it continues on its way, the rat menacingly spits out a small ball of fire. Bill points at the spot where the rat once stood with a smile on his face. “Before we get into all that, can I have the the story behind that abomination?”

* * *

 

Despite seeing the scene unfold in front of him, Dipper still cannot believe that the day has finally arrived. The day that he will be bonded to another person for the rest of his life. The entire experience leaves him breathless and lightheaded. In complete honesty, Dipper never expected the day to come so soon; and he had even come to doubt that the day would come at all. If anything, Dipper always thought that Mabel would be the first to have such an honor. The honor of having a tournament held in their name, a tradition meant to choose a royal member’s champion- a soldier meant to devote their entire lives to ensuring the safety of their charge.

As the day’s events rush past him, Dipper feels more at a loss of what to do. He cannot remember the last time so many people gathered for a celebration. There are people from all ranks and regions- the common folk from Gravity falls, ambassadors from foreign lands, and just about anyone who caught wind of the celebration. Looking around the courtyard, Dipper can spot some of the attendants placing bets on who will win the tournament. There are translators, rushing from one conversation to another- trying to keep up with the fast-paced interactions, dismantle insults into more eloquent terms, and help their patrons understand varying customs. Some of the more uptight ambassadors are already seated in the stands or waiting inside the palace for the tournament to begin. The rest of the attendees are buying souvenirs and snacks from the stands littered across the palace’s courtyard.

Regardless of their social position, everyone seems absolutely giddy about being able to witness a tradition that happens only once in a monarch’s lifetime. For most royal members, the tournament has always held a few days from their coronation or wedding day. The latter being the reason that Dipper is quickly becoming overwhelmed by the fast pace his life has taken. Everything has been crammed into such a short time frame that Dipper has barely had any time to let anything sink it. It is one surprise after the other, and there has hardly been any time to plan.

Despite the circumstances, Dipper still feels a bit excited. He will finally have a champion of his own. Just like his great-uncle Stan has Soos, Dipper will finally have someone of his own, who will become a part of his family- someone that will remind him of home when he is forced to move to the Mindscape. Dipper crosses his fingers, hoping that it will be Wendy who becomes his champion- he cannot imagine anyone else suited for the job.

Taking another peek outside of his tent, Dipper spots some of the soldiers warming up in the courtyard. They are swinging their sword, donning their armor, and stretching their muscles. From the magnitude of soldiers, Dipper can still clearly distinguish Wendy’s fiery red hair. He watches as she wields an ax in her hand, which is soon embedded into a target meters away within a blink of an eye. Dipper feels reassured at the display, knowing that she will surely be the one to win. Dipper chances a glance at the others getting their war faces on- Grenada lifting weights, Candy sharpening her arrows, and Robbie sparring against Tambry. For the soldiers, this is the day that they have been dreaming of ever since they first joined the military ranks- the greatest honor possible for them.

In the far distance, behind the stands and courtyard, Dipper’s eyes land on the vines that he conjured up during the war. The large, thick vines have an imposing presence in the palace. All of the visitors craning their necks to see the colossal plant from the moment it comes into view- but it quickly becomes part of the background, not even receiving a second glance. Dipper wishes that he could disappear in the same way. He can already hear all the questions, all the whispers behind his back, regarding his future husband.

Instead of dwelling on the future, Dipper decides to concentrate on the present. He turns back towards his tent and takes his seat, picking up the book that Bill gave him last night. Looking at the book in his hand, Dipper wonders if Bill knows the momentous importance of the book that he has gifted him- it is one of the books that Dipper has searched in the black market for years and one that Dipper had come to believe to have been burnt to a crisp. Dipper is almost certain that the book is the very last one in existence, one that holds some of the oldest secrets of magic. It is so old that Dipper cannot completely wrap his head around a majority of the sayings used to describe the spells and creatures. Dipper had to almost physically restrain himself from squealing like a fangirl, when Bill had thrown the book on his lap flippantly and stated, “You’ll probably get a kick out of this.” Dipper cannot help but admit that he has gotten a huge kick out of it- barely being able to set the book down for a minute.

Bouncing his leg in excitement, Dipper takes in all of the symbols in the book and copies them onto a piece of parchment papers- trying to make a glossary of sorts to help him understand in the future with ease. A rush of excitement passes through Dipper, he can hardly wait until nightfall to show all of his notes to Bill. In just a couple of nightly visits, Dipper has gotten fairly comfortable with Bill popping into his room- and with every visit, he is rewarded with more answers, and he learns the unimaginable. It is something that Dipper has only dreamed about before he had met Bill. Every night he can discuss everything and anything about magic- and there Bill is with all of the answers.

As Dipper sets off trying to understand the idioms in the book, his mind wanders to his interactions with Bill- which have not been limited to the nightly visits. During the past few days, Bill has managed to make himself the center of Dipper’s attention by using random spells- to send him messages and gifts. In the middle of meetings, Bill has used spells to write something on his hand to then makes it appear on Dipper’s skin. The first time it happened, Dipper had barely been paying attention to the stoic voice of the presenter and barely held back a scoff at seeing a strange turkey doodle on his hands. Once he finally found how to do it himself, he returned the favor. Dipper feels almost childish for passing notes in the middle of important meetings, but he cannot help it.

Dipper almost wants to convince himself that it might not be that bad to be married to someone like Bill- but then he goes into meetings about how Bill has been the one responsible for horrendous acts. He does not know what game Bill is playing, but Dipper has to take into account that Bill is not a good person. It is all so contradicting.

Making another annotation, Dipper inspects the jumble of symbols in front of him. He bites his bottom lip, trying to remember the specific sound attached to each of the marks. Without even realizing it, he starts to vocalize them, “Ph-grr-hoo?”

Someone laughs- and Dipper nearly jumps out of his skin at the unexpected noise. “That’s not even close, kid”

Once the shock dissipates and his muscles relax, Dipper recognizes the aggravating, familiar voice. He turns around ready to face the intruder- but he sees no one in the area. He lifts up an eyebrow in confusion, before turning back around- and coming face-to-face with Bill, who is just floating upside down in the air. Dipper barely holds back a squeak in surprise, before shoving Bill’s face away from his own. “Can you seriously stop sneaking up on me, Bill?”

“Sure thing,” Bill says happily, moving Dipper’s hand from his face, “but only when you stop having hilarious reactions.”

“Ugh. You’re such an ass.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve never heard that one before.” Bill says, flipping over to float upright. He crosses his legs, drumming a beat on his knees- and Dipper almost feels ashamed at instantly recognize the beat from one of the more popular ballads being sung through the kingdom.

After smoothing out his hair, Dipper asks the question that seems to leave his mouth with more frequency with every passing day. “So what are you doing here, Bill, tormenting me when you could be out there making babies cry?”

Bill laughs at the sarcastic comments, seemingly having a knack for multitasking, seamlessly listening to Dipper’s remarks and never releasing his spell. “Well, quite honestly, Pine Tree, the sound of you making a complete fool of yourself, by butchering my language, called out to me- so I figured the babies can wait.”

Dipper blushes at the mention of his horrible pronunciation, pouting. “Excuse me for not coming out of my mother’s womb understanding everything about anything.” He defends, “It’s not like there is a dictionary for your language. I’ve only seen it written down in like four books, so I don’t know what you expect from me- at least I can read it.”

“True, true, true. “ Bill agrees flippantly, “At least you can do the bare minimum.“ Dipper watches as Bill gets an idea- and he can almost clearly pinpoint the second that an idea strikes him. “And maybe with a bit of instruction from yours truly, you might become an expert.”

Dipper tries to act uninterested, pretending to read a phrase from the book- but he can never seem to hide his burning curiosity from Bill. Nevertheless, he tries to keep his voice steady as he asks the same question from always. “And what would I have to do for that benevolence?”

Bill taps his lips in contemplation, always being one for dramatics, before speaking, “Depends on what’s on the table. You could offer me your so-”

“No. “ Dipper interrupts swiftly, “I know what you were going to say and the answer will always be no- a million times over no.”

Bill makes a sound of disbelief, rolling his eyes, “You say that now, but in a couple of days, you’ll be walking down the aisle to give me everything you’ve got and more.”

“And you will do the same, Bill. The arrangement goes both ways.”

“Aw. Is the idea of being my handsome little groom finally growing on you.” Bill says, lightening up like the sun. “You don't seem that disgusted at the idea anymore!” He floats closer to Dipper, poking at his chest. “Admit it! You don’t seriously think it’ll be so bad to be mine”

Dipper snorts at the absurd acquisition. “Only in your dreams, Bill. The day that ever happens will be the day that Diynbee Quewesi”

“What?” Bill asks, tilting his head in confusions- then the meaning behind the butchered words dawns upon him, “It’s actually pronounced Dynb Qws, kid.”

“That’s what I said: Diynbee Quewes”

Bill shakes his head, seeming almost insulted. “Nope. You’re adding vowels where there are none, Pine Tree. It’s just Dynb Qws”

Dipper tries again, determined to get it right,” Dynbee Quewes”

Bill grabs his chin lifting, squishing his cheeks. “Nuh-uh. You’re saying something completely different.” Bill almost growls, ”And if you ever say that to anyone from my realm, you would instantly get you chopped into fourteen unrecognizable pieces.” Bill takes in a deep breath through his nose, composing himself. “It’s honestly not that hard, Pine Tree. Watch my tongue.” Dipper does as told, his eyes zeroing in on Bill’s lips, as he repeats the foreign words, “Dynb Qws”

Dipper takes in every movement of Bill’s mouth from the way that he positions his tongue to the roof of his mouth while speaking, and he tries his best to mimic it. “Dynb Qws”

“Atta boy.” Bill smiles, letting go of his face. “You catch on quick.”

“Thanks.” Dipper responds with a smile of his own, “and look at that, it didn't cost me anything to learn something from you.”

Bill’s smile falters at the revelation, before reemerging twice as brilliantly, “You’re as sly as a fox, kid.”

“It runs in the family,” Dipper admits, feeling smug at having achieved his goal. “I’m pretty sure if we had not been born into our position, we would have been making a living by running a con.”

Bill scoffs, “I’d bet my bottom dollar that the King actually does run the kingdom like a great con.”

Not in the mood to start a losing argument. Dipper nods. “True, but the kingdom has never strived more than under his rule.”

“Oh please, we’ll surpass his success three times over, once we begin to rule, Pine Tree. I will give you all that you’ve wanted and more. That I promise you, kid.”

Dipper tries to voice his comeback, but it gets caught in his throat. He cannot remember a single time that anyone has ever made a declaration such as Bill’s. Dipper covers his mouth, looking away from Bill’s intense gaze. After a second of Dipper’s blush conquering every inch of his face, Bill pulls his hand away from his face. Dipper hears Bill’s feet meet the ground with an audible ‘thump’. While Bill holds his hand firmly in his, his other presses against the back of his chair, keeping him trapped between a rock and a hard place. Not having a plan for something like this, not knowing how to tread on the unfamiliar territory, Dipper plans to lie to him about needing to go somewhere urgently- but then his eyes meet Bill’s vibrant blue eyes and everything freezes.

Dipper is almost certain that his heart stops, and he forgets to breathe. It feels like deja-vu since Bill has been this close to him before but there is something different. Bill does not seem to be doing it out of mischief or to get a rise out of him- but it is the same look that Dipper catches on Bill’s face when Bill thinks that he is not looking. Dipper holds his breath, not knowing how to react to the intense gaze. All he knows is to not to back away from Bill as he closes the already small distance between them.

Leaving a centimeter of space between them, Bill asks, “Would it really be so bad to be mine, Pine Tree? I’ll give you all the knowledge you desire and more.”

Instead of answering a question that he has no definite answer, Dipper leans forward enough to press their lips together. It is a feather light touch- and Dipper cannot stop himself from closing his eyes at the sweet sensation. He blushes scarlet at the smacking sound that echoes in the quiet room when Bill pecks him fully on the lips. Before Dipper can reconsider his actions and pull away, Bill pulls him closer, letting go of his hand to hold him by the back his head. As Bill continues to shower him with tender wet kisses, Dipper shyly opens his mouth to try to mimic his actions. The motion moves Bill from his sweet actions meant to disarm him to a passionate kiss. Dipper allows their tongues to meet, and he shudders at the sensation, allowing Bill to set the fast desperate pace. He grabs at the sleeve of Bill’s fur-lined clothing for purchase, as he feels all of his breath leave him. He could have never imagined a kiss could feel like this.

In the midst of their smacking lips, there is a voice that interrupts their actions: “Hey, Dipper! Grunkle Stan wants to know who you’re betting on to cry first? Manly Dan or- oh. Cipher.”

“Princess.” Bill greets in return, straightening up from his position.

Dipper freezes, sucking his bottom lip. It is not until that he gathers some courage that he slowly turns around way to look at his sister. The back of the chair might have impaired her from seeing the kiss, but the compromising position cannot lend her to believe anything else happening. His eyes slowly moved between his sister and Bill, who still keeps him trapped in his seat. He feels at a loss, before doing what he does when he does not have a plan, he flounders, “Mabel, We...he…. I mean...um.”

Mabel smiles brilliantly, living up to the rumors that have claimed her to be the most cheerful maiden in all of the kingdoms- and Dipper knows that he is in deep trouble. He knows his sister better than anyone, and even though she can hide her feelings behind a smile, he can tell that she wants answers from him. Dipper counts his lucky stars since she seems willing to wait until later to get answers. Drowning out the conversation between Mabel and Bill, Dipper tries to formulate the right way to address her- because, at the moment, she will not even look at him. All of her attention is focused on Bill- and he is not surprised at how quickly they are hitting it off. No one stands a chance against Mabel’s charismatic power, but Bill seems to be putting up an honorable fight. He passingly wonders why Bill gave up his chance to have her and settled for him.

Mabel using the top of his head as an armrest brings him out of his musing- and he zones back into their conversation.

“So, How are you enjoying your stay in our kingdom, Cipher?” Mabel asks with her cheerful voice. “ I hope it’s not too lively for your taste.”

“It still has not gotten on my nerves just yet, Shooting Star,” Bill says, distancing himself from the twins. “It’s a nice change of pace. There’s always something new going on around here.”

“Yeah,” Mabel agrees, running one of her hands in Dipper curls. She pulls at them softly, extending them at full length, before letting them spring back to their original state “There’s always adventure when you have a brother like mine, who sticks his nose where it is not wanted-”

“And a sister, who doesn't know when to stop.” Dipper cuts in, getting tired of simply fidgeting in his seat.

“What?” Mabel asks, laughing incredulously. “When have I ever started something?

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Dipper challenges, leaning his head back to look Mabel in the eye. “because I have a whole list.”

They both look at each, having a silent childish showdown- and Dipper hates himself for falling into her trap. The moment he meets her eyes, he spots a bit of anger behind her eyes- and she probably would have started asking him about his action had it not been her instructions to be a downright sweetheart in front of the emperor of the Mindscape.

Before anything can happen, Bill breaks the starting march with a clap of his hands. “So the tournament...What is that all about? Are they going to be fighting to the death.”

“No, it’s a points system,” Mable answers in a heartbeat. “Whoever wants to participate can- and they’ll be Dipper’s right-hand man. His knight in shining armor.”

“Oh, and are you cheering for someone, in particular, Pine Tree?” Bill asks.

“I can’t be partial to someone during this tournament,” Dipper informs, while simultaneously mocking the voice of the higher-up who lectured him a few hours ago. “ It wouldn’t be fair to the other participants.”

“Oh, my glob.” Mabel giggles, “It’s totally Wendy.”

“Yeah, it’s Wendy,” Dipper confirms with a smile.

“Of course, it’s Wendy.” Mabel continues happily. “She’s the best of the best. They even say that she’s stronger than Great Uncle Stan had been in his prime.” She turns towards Bill, asking, “Do you have any tradition like these in your kingdom, Cipher?”

“Sort of.” Bill informs, “Although it's a battle to the death and the winner becomes the Emperor of the Mindscape.”

Mabel and Dipper exchange a glance. “Oh.”

There is the sound of a drum- and the twins perk up at the sound. For Mabel, it is her queue to grab Dipper by the arm and pull him to his feet. Dipper does not protest, barely being able to grab his book. Once she has him by the entrance of the tent, she turns back around. “Well, we better get going, Cipher. See you.”

“Yeah, I’ll be keeping my eye out for you.”

Dipper snorts at the pun, and he waves a goodbye before being dragged out by Mabel. By the time that they are within meters of his tent, Mabel turns around to speak to him. Her anger seems palpable around her, and Dipper cannot face her straight on as she begins to lecture. “Dipper, I know he’s your fiancé, but after everything that he’s done. You can't trust him- and that's coming from me, the most trusting person ever. He’s not a good person, and he’ll probably throw you under the carriage if he ever finds out about you.”

“Mabel, that's the thing he alread-”

Another beat of the drums interrupts Dipper’s confession, and there are already attendants around them, rushing them to their seats. He squeezes her hands, signifying that he’ll tell her everything later. Mabel nods.

Once he finds his seat, all of the participants in the tournament line up in front of him. As the custom, all of the participants have a moment to have an exchange with him. Some of them express the honor they feel at being part of the event, while others promise him that they will win for him, and there are even a few give him a small token. Dipper smiles throughout the long exchange, but he nearly chokes on his own spit, when one of the participants hands him a golden rose. He chances that it might just be a coincidence that resembles the one from a few nights ago, but when he looks back towards the donor, they grin and wink at him.

The bastard.

**Author's Note:**

> You know what's nice? Comments and Kudos.  
> Talk to me. Sorry for any mistakes. this is un-beta'd.  
> Find me on tumblr [here](http://willcipher.tumblr.com/)


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